Serpent's Curse
by FenixPhoenix
Summary: Sequel to 'Third Desire'. "You will bloom like a rose during winter, Yuya-San. And like a flower, you will wither away." Kyo promises himself he would keep Yuya safe and destroy those who wish her harm. But is he too late? ::Kyo x Yuya:: R&R. Edited.
1. Melting

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Samurai deeper Kyo or any of its characters; I'm just borrowing them for a while.

**Third Desire Summary:** Sakaki Kenji, a wandering samurai, meets Yuya and tries to pursue her affections. When he learns about Kyo, he meets him and asks him if he's willing to sell Yuya to him, since she's supposedly nothing but a servant. Kyo keeps denying the fact that he cares for Yuya, to the point that he's put in danger while trying to protect her. Feeling that she's a burden to him, Yuya decides to leave Kyo. As she's leaving, Kyo realizes that he can't live without her. In one last attempt to keep her, Kyo confesses his love for her. Kenji leaves shortly after, only to be followed by Yukimura, who manages to extract his true story.

**AN: **Like with Third Desire, I've re-written this story. Instead of an omniscient POV, it's now told in different perspectives. I apologize for the amount of mistakes it had prior to this extended edit.

**Re-written and edited:** July of 2012.

* * *

"_One should learn that loving is not the same as wanting. Wanting demands; Loving gives."_

-Anonymous-

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix

* * *

**Chapter 1: "Melting"**

* * *

**Shinna Yuya** regretted her words as soon as she'd spoken them. She had gone too far this time and she knew it. She gazed around at the empty room and decided that a trip to the hot spring was in order. She was not only in dire need of a bath after the embarrassing episode she'd lived through, but she needed to be in a more inviting environment if she was to recover her Zen.

Packing some necessary items in a bag, she made her way to the hot spring within the Inn's premises. She was glad that the place was divided by gender and, more at ease, proceeded inside. She stripped her clothes and, clad only in a white towel, made her way to the steaming pond outside.

A quick scan showed the place was deserted, which was a relief to her. She was more than happy to be alone, in fact, she needed some solitude. With how she felt, she doubted she would make for good company, anyways.

Unfortunately, that feeling lasted for only a couple of minutes, after which her mind decided to reply the conversation she'd had with Kyo earlier that day. Well, calling it a conversation was a stretch. It had been more like a fight, a heated one at that. Yuya told herself it hadn't been entirely her fault. He'd played a part too! Damn the man! If only he'd made a move! If only he'd shown her that he cared, she would not have said what she did…

Yuya folded the towel neatly on the ground and slipped into the water. She sighed, feeling the tension in her shoulders lessening considerably. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. It was his fault…

When Kyo had finally confided he wanted her by calling her his 'third desire' she had thought everything would change thenceforth. Why wouldn't she? They'd continued traveling without Benitora, Yukimura and the rest, after all.

Yet, things hadn't proceeded as she'd hoped. In fact, they had progressed only slightly! For some baffling reason, Kyo had not _taken_ her, as she'd assumed he would. He kissed her sometimes, yes. And he did it with such passion that she often felt like melting in his arms… and that was it! Up till now, Kyo had made no further attempts to make her his. At first that had puzzled her, now it was just so damn… frustrating!

Yuya growled, remembering one of her boldest moves. They'd just returned to the bedroom they'd been lodged in for the past three days. It was victory night. They'd finally captured the wanted criminal they'd been after for more than a week and the pay had been substantial. She had planned the night down to a tee. She'd resolve to use all her God given attributes to lure him into her bed!

Granted, she had not much experience in these kind of things -that being mostly Kyo's specialty, or so she had thought- but she pretty much knew the basics, which had worked marvelously well with Kyoshiro during the past. The possibility of failure never crossed her mind.

So Yuya had closed the door and turned towards him, pulling the ribbon that held her hair loose, so that her golden locks cascaded freely down her back. That had gotten part of his attention. She'd smiled as she'd approached him slowly, pouring as much seduction into every step given in his direction. She had deliberately loosened the ribbon around her waist, so that, as she moved, her kimono opened up to reveal part of her bosom. She was towering him when she finally realized that the man had yet to make a move. Ignoring what she knew was a deep blush, she'd waited for some kind of acknowledgment, anything really! She'd waited… and waited… and waited…

But the idiotic man had done nothing. Nothing! He had looked at her flushed chest for perhaps two seconds before he'd switched his attention back to his cursed sake! Oh, the man… the demon! How she hated him! How he had shamed her by not looking interested at all! What did he want with her, then?

Yuya sighed deeply… Regardless of his lack of tact, perhaps she should not have said what she had…

_As soon as they'd walked into their room, Yuya smiled at him, almost invitingly. Kyo did not smile back. Instead, he went to the corner and sat down with his bottle of sake. She knew that as soon as he'd finished the bottle, he would lean back on the wall and fall asleep. That was, after all, the routine he'd established, and it was this what became her breaking point. _

_Frustrated, Yuya decided to garner his complete and undivided attention even if it meant doing it with a fight. So she crossed her arms and smirking, she enquired, "Do you truly want me Kyo? Or are you simply so selfish that you would keep me with you in order to keep others away from me?"_

_Kyo frowned, the thinning of his lips hinting at irritation, "What the hell are you talking about, woman." _

_Yuya blurted angrily, "That perhaps I would have been better with Kenji-San." _

_Kyo reeled back, as if she'd slapped him. She saw the skin around his eyes harden, the light within those red orbs dimming into coldness. _

"_Oh, really?" he taunted, standing up and prowling towards her. "Well, I got bad news for you," he inched closer, towering over her, "you're fucking stuck with me." _

"_Sadly," she retorted out of pride and, for a second, she feared she had gone too far as Kyo's hand tightened around her arm. Then, as if controlling himself, he let go of her and walked out without a backward glance, mumbling something about drinking in peace._

**-o0o-**

**Onime** **no** **Kyo** drank the sake straight from the bottle, his throat burning with the hot liquid and his mind burning with unwelcome thoughts. What did she want from him? He had done all she had asked for, hadn't he? She'd asked him not to kill and, let it be said that with much effort, he had done it so. She'd asked him to help her with the bounties and he had also done it so. Hell, he'd even confided he desired her and she was still unhappy!

He frowned, reflecting upon the days following his confession and Kenji's disappearance. A week had gone by since then. Every day, form that day forth, they'd slept in the same room. Kyo had struggled long and hard to muster all his self-control in order to stop himself from ripping her clothes and just claiming her. Recently, she'd just made it harder for him to keep her at arm's length.

_Why? _That's what her eyes would ask after each of his rejections. How could Kyo tell her the reason without looking weak? He had never felt like this before and it was scarier than all his past fights combined!

It wasn't the promise of sex what made him tremble. Sex was second nature to him, right besides killing. Yet, he had never had feelings for the women he had slept with. He had never considered them -what they wanted or felt. But now… now he had Yuya and he couldn't simply ignore her in the same way, despite how much he often wished he could.

Kenji had been right, Yuya had become his weakness. Kyo had known it from the start, so it shouldn't have been a surprise... but damn! He hadn't expected the after effects of his dependence! She was the part of him that he wanted the most and, at the same time, the part he feared the most. Yuya was the only one who could destroy him and that made him feel fucking vulnerable. Even if she wasn't aware of it yet, Yuya exerted power over him and she could, with one word, crush him to the ground…

So therein laid his problem and his dilemma. It was bad enough 'feeling' things for her but if he claimed her -if he took her… would those feelings intensify? Could he accept that? Because as they were now, not fully solidified, they were driving him crazy! His treacherous eyes could not stop looking at her; his body could not contain the desire to touch her; his mind could hardly concentrate on his training when she was near… So what to do?

Her voice broke into his mind, reminding him what words had prompted this intense reflection. _'…perhaps I would have been better with Kenji-San.'_

Kyo growled with mad jealousy, his eyes seeing red for a second there.

"That's it!" He was done with this pretense. He stood up and threw the bottle of sake away, hearing it shatter on the ground alongside his caution. He will make her regret her words, even if he had to rip some appropriate ones from her throat!

**-o0o-**

**Shinna** **Yuya** sighed and massaged her neck to relieve the tension that was still there. _I shouldn't stay here for too long,_ she told herself, aware that she was starting to feel lightheaded. She heard the swooshing sound of the door that led to the corridor outside sliding open.

_Great… I have company_, she thought sarcastically, reluctant to relinquish her cherished solitude. Yet, for all her problems she was not about to spoil the other woman's time with her sore news and bad temper.

When the steps were closer, Yuya decided to acknowledge the intruder. She twisted around with a broad smile plastered on her face and froze. Emerald eyes widened at what –no, at _who_ they encountered standing there. Her jaw dropped and pulse quickened. Despite her confusion and shock, she still had the clarity of mind to reach for her towel and cover herself.

Kyo's crimson orbs followed each and every one of her movements. A lustful smile made its way to his lips when she tried to cover her nakedness. He tilted his head as if questioning the irony of her actions, but said nothing. Yuya watched him in a trance as he undid his kimono and shrugged out of it. He let the garment drop to the floor and stalked towards her like a lion, without an ounce of shame for his own nakedness.

Even embarrassed as she was, Yuya's eyes traced Kyo's tall, naked body minutely on their own accord. She'd always been curious and, sufficed to say, she was not disappointed. He stood there, in all his glory, like a God of war. His every muscle toned to perfection and lilted with scars; old, new, dark, light, bumpy, long and short. Yet, despite being marked so visually by battles constantly waged, he was still a breathtaking sight.

Yuya's heart was beating like a drum inside her temples by the time he began to close the distance between them. His movements were slow and dangerous. His eyes devoured her as though she was his most desired prey. Her mouth was completely dry by the time he stepped into the pond, his intention clear.

She wanted to say something, but words failed her. She wanted to say that she was sorry, but her tongue was tied, her mind unable to think past him and his overwhelming presence. Unable to move and hardly breathing, she followed his graceful movements as he treated the water towards her.

**Onime no Kyo** smiled smugly, satisfied to have left her speechless and thrilled to see the scarlet blush assailing her face and creeping down her milky chest.

"You don't need this," he said, pulling the towel she had before clutched with so much force away.

Unhindered by the cloth, he inspected her bosom and further down her slim body, taking in every curb and goose bump there. He took a hold of her unbound hair, fingers fisting as he gently –but deliberately- tilted her face up to meet his. He smirked before dipping his head, wishing to taste more than just her mouth. He brushed his lips against her neck, sucking on the sensitive spot of her pulse, before moving up to trace the sharp line of her jaw. He kissed the corner of her lips teasingly before moving back down. This time however, he used both teeth and tongue to mark his enticing journey south, towards her small bosom.

He kissed one of her nipples languidly and felt it rising before he licked and sucked at it. Kyo growled with pleasure when he felt her hands clinging to him, her nails digging into the flesh of his back when his free hand stroked her between the legs. She moaned when his fingers caressed her tenderly and she pulled him towards her with renewed force.

Yuya's lips searched for his with almost desperation but he moved back. A whimper escaped her and he smiled with approval and self-satisfaction. He dipped his head, intent on bestowing her earned reward, and kissed her slowly, deeply and passionately. He chuckled, the sound coming from the back of his throat, when she nibbled at his lower lip.

"I am yours," she whispered in his ear. Kyo tensed when her fingers moved down to his groin. She touched the length of his hard shaft almost experimentally. He knew she wasn't as experienced as he was, so he placed a hand on top of hers and showed her what to do. Her blushed intensified but so did her eagerness. What she lacked in knowledge she compensated with each stroke.

Kyo leaned towards her, heaving with the pleasure of her touch. He was surprised by her bold move and even more so by his reaction to her extraordinary caresses. Unable to help it, heat rushed to his face and –almost roughly- he took her legs in his hands and settled them on each hip.

Yuya seemed to understand what he wanted because she hooked her legs behind him, inviting him in. He moved her so that her back was flat against one of the protruding rocks, using it as support.

"Is this what you wanted?" he whispered as he positioned himself, his eyes intent on hers.

She nodded, her eyes glazed and her lips pressed together in what he guess was fear mingling with excitement. He recalled again –not in the absence of pride- that she had never been touched like this.

"It's going to hurt," he warned, cradling her head with one hand and moving his thumb across her cheek gently. "But the pain will pass and I'll make you feel much better."

She nodded with a little smile. God, she was killing him. She was slaying the demon inside him with those big eyes full of trust and, inevitably, love! He would show her that she'd made the right decision by sticking with him. He would show her that each and every day for the rest of their lives.

Kyo went it, merging with her. She was tight and enjoyably new. Yuya cried out, her whole body tensing around him as a tear rolled down her cheek. Kyo's arms instinctively tightened around her, as if to keep her from shattering in his arms. He hated knowing he had hurt her, even if unintentionally.

"Look at me, Yuya," he commanded softly, gently.

Her emerald eyes buried into his crimson ones. He knew she could see his worry and devotion naked in the depths of his orbs. He didn't mind her knowing. He smiled when her eyes filled with reassurance and love. Moving her hips, she silently willed him to continue. Kyo moved in and out of her, slowly at first but gaining speed when he saw the traces of pain disappearing from her face.

Despite how badly he wanted to pound on her hard and fast, he was still gentle and careful. She had, in a way, become a precious yet fragile object he did not wish to break. His movements made Yuya moan and cry again, but this time with unrestrained ecstasy as he merged with her, bonded with her.

Burying her face in his neck, she kissed him there as he continued to provide her with pleasure. She closed her eyes tightly and her nails dug into the skin of his back when he brought her to her climax. She called his name and, pleased, he moaned hers when he climaxed just after.

He pulled at her hair, his lips searching for hers. He kissed her passionately for a long time. She'd been exquisite and had made him feel things he had never felt before. He realized that it didn't matter if his feelings for her intensified so long as she was with him, now and forever.

**Shinna Yuya** sighed happily. They were done and, part of her was preparing to be left alone. She assumed that Kyo would just would go and leave her to herself. Yet, to further amaze her, he did the contrary. He scooped her in his arms and carried her out. Then, inside their room, he placed her on the futon and again they made love.

By the end, she was happy but _exhausted_. Yuya felt his heavy body leaving her and rolling to the side. She grinned in his direction, noticing the quirking of his own lips in response. This was much better than she had ever imagined. All her efforts… all her waiting had finally paid off!

Kyo slid an arm below her body, pulling her towards him. Fighting to keep her surprise from showing –else he would pushed her away- she rested her head on his chest and draped an arm across his abdomen. Following suit, the hand he had below her body curled to rest on her hip.

"I am exhausted and now we shall sleep," he said and then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "so do not move and do not wake me, woman."

Yuya smiled. She did not mind that order at all. Nudging him one last time, she kissed his neck softly before snuggling into his flank. Kyo –a smirk on his handsome face- took the blanket that, moments ago, he had cast aside with haste, and cover them both. His smirk intensified when she tangled her leg with his. He closed his eyes after that, looking satisfied.

Yuya smiled in satisfaction too. Who would have thought that a simple insult was required to seduce him so completely? She only hoped that things would really change from here on. With that on mind, she succumbed to sleep, lulled by the beating of Kyo's heart.

**-o0o-**

**A mysterious man** lurked just outside, half hidden in shadows. He had not thought it possible, and yet here it was. At last he had found his weakness. At last he had found his secret weapon. Finally, his revenge was at hand. His wish near to realization!

Who would have thought? Who would have ever thought that the demon would grow a heart! That the ice monster will melt! That the beast could be conquered and the warrior could… _love_.

No, this was too much! He felt as though it was his birthday and knew he would celebrate tonight as if it was so!

"I have you now," he whispered when he saw him carrying the girl towards the inside of the building, oblivious to his presence. "I have you now, Onime no Kyo."

**To be continued… **


	2. Fright

"_If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear pain or loss, then our lives will be empty, our loss greater._

-_Unknown_-

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix

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**Chapter 2: "Fright"**

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**Shinna Yuya** slapped her cheeks gently. It was strange the way she could not stop smiling, even when Kyo was mean to her. Heck, she hadn't even reproached him once the fact that they'd continued walking non-stop until they'd reached the next town. By which time, of course, she could not help but curse the pain on her feet.

She went ahead and booked a room in the only Inn available while he went to check the bounty board. He was back in the blink of an eye, several posters on his hand. Together they headed to their room with her on the lead. Kyo slid open the door to their room before she could and stepped inside. Yuya shrugged and watched him as he inspected the place with a critical eye. When he was done, he sat on the corner glaring at her. Yuya closed the door behind her and, despite knowing he was unhappy about something, she grinned at him. Kyo's reaction was to shoot daggers at her.

"What now?" she asked, trying to sound angry but failing.

Kyo's eyes became slits. "You were very slow today," he pointed out slowly before a corner of his lips moved upward in a smirk, "perhaps, you should lose some weight."

That did it! "Well maybe you can slow down a bit, moron!" she snapped, her cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment.

Kyo's smirk deepened as though he'd achieved a desired result. In fact, he looked happier than he'd done the entire day!

"And what the heck do you mean by slow!" she continued, almost growling. "I don't know if that pea-sized brain of you noticed, but I never once fell behind! Ah, but that's right," she could feel a vein popping out her temple, "I forgot you're a self-centered bastard who's never going to change!"

Kyo's face did not lose his cool. "Go and get me some sake, woman," he ordered. Then, as if he couldn't help himself, he added, "You could use the exercise."

Yuya's hands balled into fists. She fought the urge to punch him right in that… argh… ruggedly handsome face of his! She shook her head, closed her eyes and counted to twenty. She felt her anger somewhat disappearing, leaving exasperation on its wake.

"I'm going," she said between clenched teeth, "but I am doing it for _my_ own sanity, not for you! I am going to go out and walk _my_ anger off."

"Yes, you go and be _selfish_ just as long as you don't forget my sake," he sounded amused.

She glared at him before stepping out and she could have sworn she heard him chuckling once she'd slid the door close.

**-o0o-**

**Sato Kenta** waited inside a dark room, his nervousness obvious as he shifted uncomfortably on his seat. Every couple of minutes, he would brush his moist palms against his white hakamas. He was trying to keep his confident facade in place, but the deed was getting harder to accomplish by the second.

"So if I do this…," his honey eyes moved to stare at the figure that was half draped in shadows, "I'll be off the hook…?"

The mysterious man chuckled, "You are asking if I will kill you afterwards?"

Kenta's jaw clenched and his eyes dilated with the beginnings of fright. A small tear of sweat slid down his temple. He brushed it away instinctively.

"Will you…?" He squeezed the fabric of his hakamas but stopped when he realized what he was doing.

Gathering his courage, Kenta raised his eyes and posed them on the man who'd brought him here. He was barely discernible within the darkness, which only added to the mystery surrounding him. Kenta shuddered as he made eye contact. The dark eye with which the man was studying him seemed cold, detached and unreadable. Kenta's tongue darted out to wet dry lips. The man –the demon in possession of the man—smiled, but it was a mirthless expression, lips curving in an intimidating smirk.

"Do this to my satisfaction," he moved his hands into the light so that Kenta could see the dark-bladed knife he held, "and you'll have nothing to fear…"

Kenta combed brunette bangs away from his eyes. He felt sweaty and uncomfortable.

"…Okay," he accepted and a change happened. The oppressive atmosphere became almost inviting. He could breathe again. It was as though everything had been resting on his decision. More at ease, he grinned in sadistic excitement. Confidence draped every word that followed, "I'll do it."

**The mysterious man** laughed almost hysterically after Kenta had left. It was so easy he could barely believe it! How had this man –this so called warrior, managed to live for so long? To so readily become a tool to be used… why, he was a dead man walking already!

Still, he'd enjoyed the transaction. He'd always been fascinated by human nature. It intrigued him to watch how quickly a man's demeanor could change; how a scared little kitten could become a lion with the right incentive. Poor, dumb Kenta was trading one death for another! But so what? Whether the man died or lived was inconsequential. Whatever happened would serve his purpose either way.

He chucked again and brought the black bladed knife close to his face. He saw his reflection there, distorted a little, just like his smile. He kissed the blade, a peck bestowed upon the cold surface of the obsidian. Oh, yes! His revenge was so near he could practically taste it! His tongue flicked out to lick the smooth edge. He tasted the copper of his blood and chuckled again, the sound loud and ringing maniacally.

Movement outside distracted him. He stood up and crossed the dark room in order to take a closer look. He peeked out the window and smiled.

"I can already feel it," he whispered, zeroing on a woman – _the _woman. She was walking alone, clearly immersed in deep thought, her wrinkled brow and glazed eyes were indication enough. He shook his head in silent reproach. Ignorant, little girl. Could she not feel the approaching danger? With glee, he asked, "I wonder if you can feel it too…Yuya-San."

**-o0o-**

**Shinna** **Yuya** threw her hands up almost as if in surrender. God, Kyo was beyond exasperating! Why couldn't he just treat her right for a whole day? No, the man had to insult and anger her and there was nothing, NOTHING she could do about it! He held control over her. And though sometimes that control was exciting, most times it was plain irritating.

She exhaled noisily as she continued strolling through the almost deserted streets, cursing the fact that she had forgotten her coat before barging out. Kyo had simply a way to make her forget things in both good ways and bad. This one, needless to say, was one of the bad ways.

The good ways… well those she was just starting to discover and was still trying to get used to them. For instance, she hadn't even realized until much later that Kyo had actually walked naked around the Inn to get them both to their room after their hot spring episode. Naked! Thankfully, there had been no one around to see the embarrassing scene. Or at least she hoped so, though considering her delirium at that particular moment, she could not be too sure.

Yuya snapped out of the memory when her feet caught on a loose cobble which almost sent her face first to the ground. She laughed uneasily and looked around her, relieved that nobody had seen. Yuya took noticed, for the first time, of how quiet the streets were… and how dark. She crossed her arms and continued on her way, being extra careful to stay away from areas where the light did not reach. You never knew what lurked within the darkness, but experience had shown her that it was always something better to avoid.

As if to prove the validity of this last thought, she felt a chill run down her spine when she walked past an eerie-looking house. She glanced at it, squinting in its direction. It might have been her imagination, but she felt eyes boring into her. Looking up at the second story, she saw a shadow near a window. She blinked and, when she looked again, it was dark and empty.

_It's a trick of the eye, _she told herself, chuckling nervously. Nevertheless, she pressed her pace, still trying to laugh her jumpiness off. Thankfully, whoever the figure was –if there was even someone there in the first place- he had not deemed it necessary to follow her.

After a while, she stopped before the tavern of the town and scowled. Yes, it didn't matter what she said to him, in the end she couldn't help but fulfill his wishes… Though this time, she argued, she owed him for the thrill of last night.

_Maybe I'll get a reward_, she mused, feeling much happier with that enticing idea. She peeked inside to make sure no surprises awaited her.

"Hello, there," came a greeting from behind the bar. "What can I get you, honey?"

More at ease, she stepped in with a smile on her face. She noticed the store was almost deserted, but she shrugged this off. It most probably was due to the fact that it was late and cold.

"Hello," she greeted the gray-haired bartender. "Could I get a bottle of sake please?"

"Of course!" He went to a shelf, took a bottle and offered it to her. She could tell at a glance that it was the most expensive brand. Yuya decided to let that go. "Here you go, Miss."

Yuya paid and thanked him. She was about to leave when a bear of a man dressed in white hakamas and a moss green gi intercepted her. She tried to go around him, but again he moved. There was no mistake, he was doing this deliberately. She looked up at his face with a frown. He was staring at her with a grin that was far from nice and was closer to wolfish.

"Do you mind," she glared back and tried to push him out of the way unsuccessfully.

The man leaned forward and Yuya tensed, unsure of what to do. He took a lock of her hair and… sniffed it. She backed away at the queer action, more confused than before. What the hell!

"Not at all," he chuckled, his honey eyes becoming slits.

Yuya scowled. "Well I do," she hissed, "so let me through before you regret this."

The man barked a laugh, "Oh, really?"

He gave one step towards her and, before she knew it, he had taken her arm and was dragging her towards the table that stood in the far corner of the shop. None too gently, he pushed her into the bench. In seconds, she found herself trapped between the wall and the bear-like man who'd slid next to her.

"So," he leaned closer and sniffed her hair again. She tried to push him away from her, but of course he was much too big to be physically swayed! Ignoring her attempts he asked, "Tell me, what's a _caramel_ like you doing all alone in a place like this?"

Yuya's eyes widened when he took a hold of her hands, so that now she had no way to push him away, her legs trapped with the table. The man dipped his head and, undauntedly, nibbled her earlobe. Something inside her _snapped_! Her fear gave way to adrenaline and, having no way to flee, she opted to fight. So she turned her head sharply his way and, without hesitating, bit down on the man's earlobe.

"Damn it, you bitch!" he snarled, his hand closing around her throat until she had no choice but to unclenched her teeth as she fought for air.

His grip softened enough to allow her to breathe again. But the hand was still there, fingers digging into her skin, warning her to be careful.

"That's better," he accepted, kissing the mark his hands had left on her milky skin. She winced at the wet, sloppy peck.

Knowing that panicking would do no good, Yuya kept her voice low and composed, "What do you want?"

The man laughed. "You know what I want," he touched her lips with the tip of his index finger before continuing, "Hasn't anyone taught you that you shouldn't be alone at night?" He moved his lips to her ear and whispered, "It's dangerous…"

Yuya's eyes burned with tears when she assessed her impossible situation. Every outcome her mind offered almost made her gag. She bit her lip, wrecking her brain for a solution. But the only thing there was panic. She closed her eyes, tears squeezing past her lashes.

_Kyo_, a voice inside her called silently, desperately.

"Most importantly," came a voice so cold it could have frozen the pit of hell, "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to mess with other people's property?"

Yuya's eyes sought the source of the voice and all her fright immediately vanished. He'd heard! He'd answered! He was right here and everything would be alright!

Her captor smiled. "Onime no Kyo," he said as he moved slowly out of his place to stand before Kyo, "I've heard of you."

Kyo's hand tightened around his muramasa. "Then you know your reaper has come," he threatened with a smirk, though his eyes were far from amused.

"Oh," honey eyes flickered in Yuya's direction, "I didn't know she was taken." His smile transformed into a wild, sadistic grin, "After all, she was walking amidst darkness… all alone."

Kyo unsheathed his sword gracefully and pointed the tip at the man's neck. "I suggest you start praying, for no one who touches my _woman_ can live to tell the tale."

The man freed his own katana from the scabbard hanging on his waist. "Are you not even curious as to who I am?"

"I do not care much about the dead."

"I am Sato, Kenta," the man introduced himself anyways, "and I suggest we leave this… fight for another time."

Kyo grinned, "Who said anything about a fight? This will be an execution."

Kenta chuckled, but the sound seemed forced, unsure almost. "Still," he insisted, "We should leave it for tomorrow."

"Why would I do that?"

The sound of feet moving outside stole their attention. Yuya took a peek at what was happening through one of the windows.

"Someone called the police?" she asked surprised. Why didn't they call the police when she was being molested!

Kenta sheathed his sword and stepped back. "Tomorrow, near the southern gate, just outside town," he said, "I will meet you there at this hour… or I will take your woman."

**Onime** **no** **Kyo **had been about to cut the man in half when he felt someone closing in on them. He turned to the left, noticing there was indeed someone there, someone who'd witnessed the entire deal and had done nothing! Kyo was just about to address him when he threw something on the floor. Kyo crouched; ready for some kind of explosion, but all that came out of that pebble was smoke. It blinded him and disoriented him for a while. When the haze somewhat cleared, the man and the witness had vanished.

Kyo cursed and was about to try finding them when he remembered something, the reason why he'd come, to be precise! Where was Yuya? He turned to where he had last seen her, but she was not there! He felt his anger rising at the thought of losing her but, just when he was about to start destroying the place, he felt a soft hand upon his arm, squeezing in reassurance. His anger subsided, leaving sweet relief on its wake.

"Kyo," she said worriedly, "we need to go."

He nodded curtly, took her hand and, breaking a window, they slipped out and walked away.

"What did you have to go around and get yourself in trouble, woman!" Kyo's anger returned once they were back in the safety and warmth of their room.

Yuya frowned, "What the heck is that supposed to mean!" She brushed her hair behind her shoulders so that he could see the mark that Kenta's hand had left on her neck. "In case you haven't noticed, I actually _tried_ to get away! And let us not forget who I did this for! It was you who sent me to get your disgusting sake in the first place!"

Kyo stared at the mark incredulous. Guilt, a thing which he'd rarely felt, pushed away his anger, making his shoulders sag unbecomingly. He saw Yuya's regret plain as day and that just made him feel even worst. She was right, it was him who'd sent her away!

"Kyo… It's not your fault…"

He closed his eyes. He didn't know whether to still be angry or relieved at the fact that her windpipe had not been crushed. He growled and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to regain his composure. All he wanted at the moment was to kill someone, specifically the one who had dared hurt her.

Yuya sighed, leaned on the wall tiredly and massaged her neck, "I'm glad you came for me… Kyo."

He felt the last traces of anger evaporating with her words. Despite what she'd gone through, she was still thankful. God, he only hoped that her blind trust in him would not end up paving a road to her demise. He shook his head and the morbid thoughts therein. He focused on her, his most precious possession. He had almost lost her and that single thought sent waves of fear through his body. A fear he was starting to hate but which he could not control, no matter how hard he tried.

His hand was still tight around the hilt of his blade. He leaned his weapon against the wall and ambled towards her until they were but a fingernail apart. Yuya was blushing madly and closed her eyes when he dipped his head.

**Shinna** **Yuya** thought he would kiss her lips. Sometimes, though, Kyo could surprise her in very pleasant ways. Instead of kissing her, she felt his lips brushing against the darker marks on her neck. And she knew, as he kissed those, that she was much more important to him than she had ever thought…

"Kyo?"

"Hmmm," he continued with his ministrations, his lips moving up towards her jaw as he mumbled a lazy, "I'm busy." He brushed his nose against her cheek before claiming her lips.

Yuya was left speechless, feeling his yearning burning her in a way she was starting to truly like. This was his way to do things, his special power. This was how he made her forget things in a good way. And she knew that, after this, the memory of Kenta's lips on her neck would forever be erased.

**To be continued…**


	3. Bait

"_Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."_

-Robert A. Heinlein-

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 3: "Bait"**

* * *

**Sato Kenta **watched his contractor sniff a white, five petal flower he'd carefully cultivated in a ceramic pot.

"What's that?" he asked, not understanding how a man like him–who with one look made Kenta's blood run cold- could be so gentle with a plant.

The man smiled awkwardly and turned his odd eyes on him. Kenta gulped, chiding himself for questioning him.

"This… is a gift," he answered. If he noticed Kenta's unease, he hid it well.

Kenta decided best not to meddle any further in the man's affairs, more so considering he could cut him in half if he wanted to. That was the extent of the shadow's skill. That was the proficiency of the only man left of two annihilated clans. The man was both a killer and a survivor… and a cursed one at that.

"Well…" Kenta tensed when he detected displeasure, "don't you have something to do?"

He jumped to his feet when those odd eyes flickered to the window. The sun was retreating and it was almost time for his appointment with Onime no Kyo. He grinned, excited by the promise of the slayer's blood dripping down his blade, and promptly left the room.

**-o0o-**

**Onime** **no** **Kyo** peeked out the window. It was time. Bloodlust and excitement flooded him, conquering him one vein at a time. Sato fucking Kenta would die for his boldness tonight. He would perish with a scream of agony lodge in his throat; a fitting end for one who'd dared messed with his property.

"Kyo," Yuya sounded unsure, "let's just go…"

He watched her squirm under his scrutiny. There was something on her mind that she wasn't sharing. But he brushed that aside, figuring it was her usual worry what was painting that expression on her face.

**Shinna** **Yuya **shudder with something she hard to describe. It was worry and something else, something that made her restless. It wasn't that she didn't trust him to be strong enough to kill Kenta. It was more like there was something much more dangerous going on. She couldn't explain why, but her instinct was demanding that they tread carefully! Yuya was aware of how weird that sounded. If she tried to explain her _baseless_ instinct to Kyo, he would probably make fun of her though.

As predicted, Kyo shrugged uncaring and gained his feet. Muramasa in hand, he went the door, ready to leave. Yuya stood up, patting the ribbon of her yukata, checking for the weapon underneath. When she had the chance she take out Kenta before Kyo had time to unsheathe his sword.

"What are you doing, woman?" he asked disapprovingly.

"What do you mean?" she crossed her arms. "I'm coming with you, obviously."

**Onime no Kyo**'s eyes hardened. He hadn't forgotten how he'd felt when he thought she'd been kidnapped. So no, he would not risk her safety, especially because Kenta had a clever accomplice. The witness at the bar had enabled Kenta's escape, after all.

"What?" She peered at his face and some of his worry must have shown, because her interest increased.

"You're staying here," he decided. Before she could argue with him, he added sternly, "That's not a request! That's an order!"

"If anyone should want revenge," she pointed out, "that's me!"

Kyo closed the distance between them and fixing his face into a hard mask, he whispered threateningly, "Do not think I will not tie you to a chair in this room if you think of disobeying me."

**Shinna** **Yuya** could not ignore the glint of fear underneath his fury. He was worried... and he was stubborn. So she gave in with a huff, looking away. She folded her arms across her chest, trying and failing to hide her fearful tremble. Damn him! Did he truly think she could just sit here and wait for him to come back? What if he didn't come back?! Worst, what if something happened to him?

He lingered for a second. She thought he might say something, try to pacify her with a kiss or a soothing lie. But that would be unlike him and so, it wasn't that surprising when he didn't. In his signature silence he walked away. Frustration made her eyes ache. The door slid open and she heard him heave a profound sigh.

"I won't take long… I'll be back," he said as if he'd heard her thoughts.

"You do that," she mumbled, blinking back her tears._ Come back to me, Kyo._

**-o0o-**

**Sato** **Kenta** waited in the open field just outside the city. The knee-high ocean of yellow grass moved with the wind, giving the impression that something prowled underneath. He grinned when a figure came into view, the built of the warrior and the cocky saunter giving the owner away.

"Onime no Kyo," he greeted, "I see you didn't bring the prize."

Kyo was untroubled by his taunt because he smiled devilishly. "Don't worry," he said, "It's not like you can take anything where I'm sending you."

"We'll see about that," Kenta retorted, charging at Kyo.

Steel clashed against steel four times before they parted, both sporting satisfied grins. Kenta shook the pain in his arms away and began to circle Kyo. Kyo followed his lead, shifting to his movements casually. It was a façade, of course. Crimson eyes showed intelligence and caution. Kenta could see the wheels of his head turning madly, his eyes scanning their surroundings as though searching for someone hidden in the ocean of grass.

"He's not here…" Kenta confided. He had Kyo's undivided attention now so he added, "He's busy."

He charged again, before Kyo had a chance to ponder the words.

**-o0o-**

**The mysterious man** gazed at the Inn's entrance. As he'd expected, the pretty blond came out moments after Kyo had left.

"Ah! Look at that!" He shook his head chidingly when he noticed the gun she'd tried to hide. "Tsk, tsk… she disobeyed you, Kyo."

He followed her down several dark, deserted streets, keeping out of her line of vision. The tension of her shoulders became more visible with each step. She must have sensed him at some point, because she began to study her surroundings with paranoid eyes. Perhaps she was much more observant than he'd given her credit for?

He smiled at her. There was a tilt to her brow and a glint in her eyes that told him she was stronger than she looked. She reminded him of someone. A girl –no, a _woman_ he'd killed a long time ago. A warrior who'd defied him until the very end.

A dark-skinned man suddenly stepped out of the shadows, intercepting her path.

"Aw! Look at this," the man said.

The girl stepped back warily, hands clutching the collar of her yukata, as if afraid he would tear it open. The man's eye moved down to her bosom, attracted by the action. His other eye was missing, the hole hidden beneath a black patch. Even from within his hiding place, the mysterious man could detect his lust.

"Are you lost, little missy?" he asked, trying to put a hand on her shoulder. The girl stepped out of reach, body coiling in preparation. She was about to turn tail, when a snigger behind her made shattered her plans. A snort from her left followed, planting panic in her eyes.

_So you know now, don't you? You are trapped, little flower and if you aren't careful… your petals will be plucked. _The mysterious man crossed his arms, enthralled by the opening scene of the grand play she'd set in motion. _Poor, silly, little flower,_ _what would you do now? _

**Shinna Yuya**'s heart was racing. The man before her was tall, but slim. She measured the distance separating them. She could perhaps tackle him and try to make a run for it, yet the other two troubled her. She was surrounded and she'd no idea how big or strong the others were.

"Perhaps we can help you?" A figure materialized to her right, stepping into the bubble of light she was under.

She spared a glance at him. He was slightly taller than her, but he was bulkier than the first man. She shuddered when his lips parted in a toothy grin. She was afraid he would throw himself at her and bite her. He seemed like a biter, for some reason. Maybe it was because his teeth looked more like fangs.

"Aw, don't be like that. We'll take you home," offered the first man, attempting to sound reassuring, "don't you worry about a thing, missy."

Yuya held her breath and reached for her gun. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the other man stepping into the light. He looked even stronger than the other two. Yuya hated how close they were now, it made it harder to think, to breathe, to move. A thin sheet of sweat covered her palms and she could hear her heart beating on her temples. Yet, when she turned to the first man… she forced herself to smile.

**The mysterious man** tilted his head at the change in her demeanor. She wasn't ready to call for help. She wasn't ready to lie down and be plucked. No, this flower had thorns itching to draw blood.

"Ah, this is going to be interesting," he chuckled, barely containing the urge to clap at the unexpected twist. "Let us see how you fare, little flower… Yuya-san…"

The last man smirked, "This one's a fighter…"

The first man gave a step forward, only to freeze right after that. The mysterious man bit his lip, fighting the urge to laugh. Little Yuya had taken out her weapon! Her smile became smug at the confused look of her would-be predator. Before anyone could do or say anything, she fired. She didn't flinch as the bullet ripped through the middle of the man's skull. He must have stayed on his feet for over three seconds before his body crumbled lifelessly.

The mysterious man covered his mouth, muffling another chuckle. The rest of the men were looking at scene appalled. This was too much! It had been so long since he had had this much fun!

_Bravo, bravo!_ He yelled inside his head, clapping ever so softly. "But now… Yuya-san," he whispered, "they're pissed…"

**Shinna Yuya** had hoped they would flee when they realized she was not a damsel in distress. Yet, when had things gone that smoothly for her?

Before she could point her weapon at the next man, one of them charged. She focused on him and squeezed the trigger. The man got out of the way but bullet still ripped through his shoulder, making him drop his blade. She fired again.

**The mysterious man** threw his hands up in the air as the event unraveled. She'd been so good at the beginning! What had happened?

"It's a distraction, Yuya!" he hissed. How could she not see that! _Do not disappoint me, woman!_

The little flower fired again, shooting her attacker's left eye, killing him in a blink. She was twisting around, ready to continue her killing spree, when a fourth man grabbed her from behind. He slapped the gun away and laughed when Yuya screamed in surprise. She tried to disengage the arms that held her in place, but it was fruitless. The man with the yellow teeth approached them, smiling devilishly.

"Stupid, little flower! Where are your thorns now?" The mysterious demanded angrily from his hiding spot.

"I've always liked fighters," yellow teeth man confessed, leaning forward and licking her from chin to cheek, "they taste so good."

Yuya spat at him, green eyes glazed with tearful rage. The man slapped her hard across the face, leaving a mark that would eventually turn a horrid shade of purple. Yuya gasped when the man holding her forced her legs open with his knee. She twisted furiously, trying to get away, but his grip was solid, fingers digging into her skin, leaving more marks behind.

Yellow teeth man moved closer and tore open the front of her yukata. He laughed , admiring the lumps in her chest. Even small and perky as they were, they drove the man crazy. He dipped his head and licked her bosom, biting the tip and making her cry out in pain.

Every trace of cheer vanished from the mysterious man's eyes. Perhaps it was about time to step onto the stage?

**Shinna** **Yuya** closed her eyes, wishing to die before letting these creatures touch her any longer. She clenched her jaw and wiggled, but stopped when she noticed that arouse the men even further. She was about to scream when something unexpected happened.

"I suggest… you keep your hands off of her," a voice growled as a figure with brown hair and a small braid coming out from behind his ear stepped out from the veil of darkness. The wine eye -that was not hidden behind his brown bangs- was so cold, it sent shivers down her spine.

"Mind your own business!" snapped the fourth man, pointing the tip of his blade at him.

"I am," the stranger snarled.

Yellow teeth charged him, straight like an arrow. What happened next was a blur of movements. The stranger danced around him, slashing him deeply with every move of his wrist, killing him. The stranger turned his odd eyes on the man still holding her. With deliberate slowness, he approached them.

Her captor pushed Yuya aside carelessly, making her tumble to the ground, scraping elbows and knees. From there, she watched incredulous as he tried to run away but the stranger threw his blade like a lance and nailed him on the back, killing him on the spot.

It took her a moment to register that she'd been saved, that she was alive and mostly unharmed. She stood up and gazed at the last body, already soaked in blood, and sagged with relief. A gust of wind reminded her that her chest was still exposed, so she pulled her yukata close, clutching at the fabric.

"T-thank you," she said, recovering her feet and turning around to look at her hero, only he was no longer there.

She started searching for him, but something connected with the back of her neck. The pain was sharp, like a sting from a bee, and it made her stagger forward a couple of steps. Then her sight blurred then dimmed, leaving her in darkness…

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** towered the bloodied figure of Kenta. He was on his back, breathing heavily, coloring the grass below him a rusty red. Inserted into the pit of his stomach was muramasa. Kyo clasped the hilt and twisted it, making him scream.

This was perfect. He was going to take things slow, in punishment for what he'd done to Yuya. When he lifted the pressure, Kenta opened his eyes. Kyo frowned. There was something in his eyes that didn't seem right. Kenta chuckled, choked, spat some blood and then chuckled some more, red teeth grinning up at him. His amusement wasn't faked. Kyo could see it in the man's dying eyes. It was unmistakable! It was triumph!

"You…lose," Kenta spat.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Kyo knelt beside him, his eyes cold and, hopefully, unreadable.

"I… was… bait."

"Where is he?" Kyo hissed, realizing why things hadn't seemed right from the start. He pretended he wasn't affected, but it was becoming more difficult to maintain the charade by the second.

The man chuckled, saying, "He is… with… your…"

Kenta chocked and gave his last trouble breath before he could finish. He died unable to see the look of utter fear that appeared in the orbs of his killer. Onime no Kyo stood up and ran towards the inn, ignoring the gash on his side as his every thought… his every fear whirled around one name. One person. One woman. His woman!

Yuya.

**To be continued…**


	4. Vendetta

**Author's Notes: **Special thanks to_YuyaSama, Kookie-chan, peckforever, Chaotic angel7, Phoenixkid, FlowerGirl, Behan_ and _Crystaliz._ I LOVE your reviews and appreciate your constant support! Seriously guys thank you so much, if not for you this fic would not be updated this quickly. ~_Enjoy_ the chapter!

* * *

"_The intensity of a passion is measured by the solitude that precedes it."_

-Xavier Velazco-

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 4: "Vendetta"**

* * *

**Onime no Kyo** sped down the streets, his muscles aching with each angry trot. What would he do? What would he do if she was not there? What would he do if he lost her? Did he still have time? Could he help her? Had he _failed_ her?

He shook his head, rage making him look red. He could not lose her! Damn it, he _would_ not lose her! She was his and his alone! She was the purpose of his life! Without her… who was he? Without her… what was there left to live for? What was there to die for?

He felt his legs burning as he forced the last run. The Inn came into view, and yet he could not shake away the dread that was clutching at his heart, threatening to consume him with grief. He pictured scenarios that made his blood run cold: Yuya broken. Yuya raped. Yuya dead. Yuya missing.

"Yuya," he barged into the Inn, stopping only until he reached the door to their room. He was panting heavily and could hardly hear anything beyond his heartbeats. He shouldn't have gone! He should have stayed with her! He should have protected her. He should have listened to her when she pleaded him to leave!

His body started trembling uncontrollably, his legs becoming jelly under him. He fought to stay standing, to not surrender all hope. Not yet! His mind was ruthless, though, showering him with terror. What was waiting for him inside? What sight would his eyes behold? He felt his eyes sting with tears and looked up, trying to keep them in.

What! What would he see?

He stepped closer to the door and cursed when he heard no sound from inside. It was the frigid silence of a tomb. Why was there no noise? Was it because she was not there? Or was it perhaps something else… something twice as terrible…

His hand took hold of the door handle and he slid it open slowly -his strength diminished by the single thought of not seeing her there. As long as he didn't look hope existed, but if he peered inside the room… would that be lost?

He squared his shoulders and made a decision. With eyes shut, he stepped inside and held his breath. Eagerly he waited for her voice to call to him. Woefully, he was greeted by silence. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and paled.

She was there! Kami, she was there!

He closed the distance that separated them with two wide strides; hope reigniting when he saw no blood upon her clothes. He knelt beside her and placed a hand atop her throat and there –Oh, there he felt it! Low but steady… she was alive! Not only alive but unharmed and safe! How or why did not matter as long as she stayed that way! Kyo frowned as another fear crawled inside his heart. What if she didn't wake up? What if he was never to see her eyes or hear her voice again?

"Yuya," he shook her softly. Sweet and welcomed relief filled his entire being when she stirred. Then her green eyes –those beautiful, gleaming emeralds—appeared from below her lids.

"Kyo," she greeted, focusing on his face. She frowned, probably at noticing his state of near panic. She sat up, awake and alarmed, and asked, "Kyo, are you alright? What happ-"

Looking at her… hearing her… it was the sweetest sensation. He felt his heart –which had broken with Kenta's words—mending at the sound of her voice. She did not mean a lot to him. No. She meant _everything_ to him.

Without thinking -without paying attention to what she was saying after she had called his name- he pulled her towards him desperately. Ignoring the pain on his side, he held her tightly to his chest and kissed the top of her head, wanting nothing else than to drown in her essence. She was alive! He could hardly believe it but here she was… safely in his arms… right where she belonged.

After he'd regained some of his composure, he pushed away in order to study her. It was then he saw it. There was another bruise upon her body, another mark upon her skin.

"Who the fuck hurt you?" he hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The lesson this was supposed to have taught him not quite learned, for his mind whirled once again into thoughts of delivering pain to the one who'd harmed her.

Yuya's eyes widened. He knew she was recalling her day because her eyes filled first with dread and then with shame. She lowered her gaze and fear made its way back into his heart. What had happened to her? Who'd dared touch her! Was she broken? And if so, could he mend her?

"Tell me," he ordered, though his voice lacked his usual strength.

**Shinna Yuya** crossed her arms, as if to protect herself from the memory, and told him all that had transpired between that moment and this, leaving no detail out. By the time she was finished, she couldn't look him in the eye. She felt dirty…tainted. Most of all, she was disgusted with herself. She closed her eyes and shivered as she recalled the feeling of the man's tongue sliding across her chest. It was appalling to have been so shamefully handled! It was painful to have been so easily overcome.

**Onime no Kyo** was very quiet and very still. He felt rage building in the pit of his stomach as he imagined the four men attacking. Yet, his main concern was her _savior_. Who was this man and why had he helped her? Perhaps more importantly… how did he know this was her room and why –if he was Kenta's companion—did he bring her home instead of killing her right then and there? Had he decided to let her live? Had he taken pity on her?

No. The man who'd inspired so much fear on a warrior like Kenta would not be someone weak of heart. The man he was dealing with was wicked and cold. He should know it, since once upon a time he had been that way too.

"Kyo… I-I am sorry," she said, brushing at her tears. She closed her eyes, unable to look at him, perhaps fearing his thoughts or expecting his judgment.

Kyo place a hand on each of her shoulders and gently pushed her down. He lowered himself on top of her, brushing his lips against her battered cheek. He hesitated for a second, eyeing her carefully. Since she wasn't rejecting him, his lips moved down to her bosom. He kissed every inch of her chest, hoping to erase –or at the very least replace her memory with something better. Something he hoped was comforting.

**Shinna Yuya** let everything go. The disgust and shame and everything else that was painful. It was all ebbing away, leaving her with only Kyo and his gentle touch. She arched and ached and allowed him to continue imparting his magical ministrations. At some point, though, she pulled him up to kiss his lips. It was then she felt moisture on his side and detected, for the first time, the rusty scent of blood.

"Kyo," she pushed him back carefully, not wishing to further rattle his wound. When had their roles switched? When had she become the first concern? When had she become the selfish one?

He looked at her evidently annoyed at being interrupted. She was on her feet and rummaging inside the medicine box before he could think of pulling her back into his arms. She felt his eyes upon her and she gave him a chiding look. She sat by his side and pulled his robe open, exposing his chest.

She took a towel out of the bucket of water she'd carried over, and wiped away the coat of crimson with soft and gentle hands. He grunted and winced—yes. The great Onime no Kyo winced when she proceeded to treat his wound with an herbal potion, protecting him against infection.

"Easy, woman!" he snapped, glaring at her and clenching his jaw.

"Well, stay still!" she huffed. So the man was able to grin when he was being slashed or sliced but he snapped and grunted when she was trying to tend to him? Something was definitely wrong!

He scowled and turned away. "What's that?" he asked, his eyes inspecting something that was resting on the corner table. Her eyes came to rest on a ceramic pot she hadn't noticed before. It had two strange white flowers. They weren't horrible to look at, but they made her shiver nonetheless.

"I don't know," Yuya confided, reaching for the pot intent on inspecting the flowers thoroughly. She was about to sniffle them when Kyo stopped her by taking her hands.

"Are you stupid, woman!" he growled, snatching the pot from her fingers briskly.

"What did I do now?" she threw her arms up in exasperation. The man! The demon! How was it he could be so charming one second and be a brute the next!

"This could be dangerous," he said, eyeing one of the five petal flowers critically.

Yuya rolled her eyes, "Excuse me? …Since when are flowers dangerous?"

He scowled but remained silent as he probed one of the white petals with a finger.

"WATCH OUT!" she yelled. When Kyo retrieved his finger, she laughed.

"What the hell's wrong with you!" he snapped.

Yuya brushed away the tears that had escaped from the corner of her eye. "We don't want that big and evil flower eating your hand, do we?"

"Funny," he retorted, putting the pot aside while she tried her best to wipe the smile off her face. Naturally, she was far from successful.

"Have you finished?" he asked drily.

She nodded and her eyes widened at a sudden thought, "What if that's a gift from my rescuer?"

"All the more reason to dispose of it," he stated.

"Aw…," he turned to her and cocked an eyebrow, "you're jealous!"

"Dream on. You're not that good looking," he snorted, moving towards the corner of the room and sitting down, still sporting that glare.

"You're a jerk!" Her eyes narrowed in his direction. He was not that handsome either! Or so she wished she could belief.

Silence descended upon them for a long while with neither giving any ground. However, Yuya could take it no more. The sudden desire -the sudden need to feel his body lying next to hers overcame her, and she cursed because he gave no indication of feeling the same. Darn the man and darn the fact that he did not need her half as much as she needed him. Eventually, yielding to her relentless desire, she crawled towards him trying to be as seductive as possible.

**Onime** **no Kyo** didn't acknowledge her when she approached. He kept his eyes shut, his pose relax, faking indifference. He did not take it lightly when someone made fun of him and his pride was too strong to allow him to ignore what she'd done. At least for the time being…

His brow twitched when her lips brushed one side of his face. She nibbling at his ear playfully, threatening to break his resolve. With almost inhuman effort, he restrained from answering her touch. Kyo knew he wouldn't last long unless he thought of something. So he did.

"You just can't keep your hands off of me, can you?" he smirked when he felt her stop. He opened one eye and was rewarded with her flustered face. It was too easy.

"Fine then," she said, retreating only to be, in a second, pinned to the floor. He bit back a groan when he felt his side aching but he ignored the discomfort.

"I can't blame you, woman" he said smugly, pulling her yukata open. "I'm simply irresistible."

Kyo didn't give her a chance to argue.

**-o0o-**

**The mysterious man**sat on a rock that protruded out of a lake in the Inn's premises.

"Wonderful, wonderful, Onime no Kyo," he praised, chuckling gleefully at the show. He welcome the caress of the night's cold breeze and kept his odd eyes on the door that led to them… his victims.

It was so fantastic, so exhilarating to see his plan working out so perfectly. How could Kyo not see it? Had he not realized what his present meant? Did he not felt danger around him… around her?

"Taste her, Kyo…," he whispered, "for soon you won't be able to… I will take her away from you and you will shatter the same way I shattered when you first walked into my life."

_Can you hear me, Kyo? Can you sense me dwelling… waiting for you to come and get me? Can you feel my hatred, burning brighter with every second? Can you imagine how I yearned for you to see how I've changed and evolved? Your time is near, so near I can already taste it! Come, Kyo, come out and meet the one who'll finally destroy you, demon! _

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** opened his eyes. He had sensed him outside for quite a while but he hadn't wanted to alert Yuya. He didn't want her to worry. In addition to that, part of him enjoyed thinking the man was outside waiting for Kyo to acknowledge him. He smirked at the thought. As long as it was his move that needed to be made he was in control… he had power over him…

So Kyo waited and once he was certain Yuya had fallen into a deep slumber he moved away from her, careful not to wake her, and clothed himself with his dark robe. He went to the door, retrieving his muramasa from where he'd left it forgotten. He slid open the rice door and stepped out, securing the door behind him.

"Who dares disrupt my sleep?" he asked casually.

The intruder was looking at him intently, a sly grin on his face. "Ah, Onime no Kyo," he greeted, tugging at the braid behind his ear, "Did you have a… good day?"

Kyo smirked, "I killed your man. Of course, I had a nice day."

The man chuckled, "Kenta? I thank you for that. His death was set before you unsheathed your sword." He tilted his head and cracked a shoulder. Kyo seized him up. He was the same height and built as him and wore a wine jerkin with only one sleeve. "But tell me, Kyo," the man continued with an awkward smile; as though he wasn't quite sure if he was happy, "do you not remember me?"

Kyo shrugged, "I tend to forget unimportant _things_."

Yet, there was something about the man and his outfit that seemed awfully familiar. Squinting, Kyo noticed that one leg of his dark pants had the image of a serpent -a cobra going round and round and finishing just above the knee.

The man chuckled, the sound psychotic, "Ah, but you will remember me from now on."

Kyo smiled and unsheathed his sword. "Let's see how true your words are."

"Oh, but I know this! I know!" he stood up, unsheathing the saber that had been tied to his back. "I will strike were it will hurt you the most and you will not even see it coming, Onime no Kyo."

Kyo's eyes narrowed, not liking where this was going. It reminded him of someone… Kenji! Yes! This sounded like something he'd said. Kyo's amusement and excitement vanished altogether. There was only one weakness he had, but as long as he protected the door he would not reach her and she would not be harmed. Kyo decided, right then and there, that he would kill this man and wipe the threat he posed. He would destroy him, because he'd dared to threaten Yuya!

**The strange man** smiled. Nature was giving him leave to set his plan in motion. He glanced at the sky painted red by the full moon. Finally his revenge was at hand! Only two men had wronged him –only two warriors had unleashed his rage. Onime no Kyo was one of them.

"Let the show begin," he said, sparing another glance at the sky. _A red moon… blood will be shed tonight… _

**To be continued…**


	5. Promise

"_Let the world stop turning, let the sun stop burning; Let them tell me love's not worth going through. If all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart, the only dream that mattered had come true… In this life I was loved by you."_

-Bette Midler-

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 5: "Promise"**

* * *

**Onime no Kyo**'s eyes narrowed when the man before him divided into seven identical figures. Every face around him was marked with that peculiar scar that went from below the right eye down to the middle of the cheek.

"Kage bunshin…," Kyo whispered. Benitora had used this technique before, which somewhat gave Kyo an advantage. Despite this, he doubted this man would be easy to beat.

"Are you scared yet, demon?" the man asked before, as if on cue, the seven shadows charged.

Kyo's excitement increased as the fight progressed. The fact that he was relying heavily on his raw reflexes, demonstrated that his opponent possessed skills that almost matched his own.

"Do you know what is it like to have a family now, Onime no Kyo?" the shadows asked in unison and it was then Kyo remembered who he was fighting for. "I once had a family…"

Kyo parried a sword and, grunting when he felt another blade biting into his shoulder, spat, "Who cares!"

The man and his shadows snapped, "When you lose those you love, it is as if someone has taken something precious from you… You are broken beyond repair and never seem to grasp the feeling of complete happiness again."

Kyo beheaded a shadow only to have two shadows rise to replace it. Kyo understood in that moment that he was not fighting a man but a demon… a demon just like the one he used to be…

"After my family was killed," the shadows continued unperturbed, "I thought I would never feel happy again… but I was wrong. I found happiness when I was embraced by a new clan… A clan who was wiped out by a demon…"

Onime no Kyo frowned as he came face to face with a shadow who, if not for the sheath of his muramasa, would have painted a bloody smile on his throat.

"Sucks to be you," Kyo retorted, dodging a sword and retaliating. Once the shadows were out of the reach of his sword, he asked, "Are you going to finish soon? This story of yours is getting depressing."

"Do you not remember who I am? Can you not guess my identity from what you've heard?" the man enquired, his irritated tone brushing with unbelief.

"I told you," Kyo smirked and shrugged, "I tend to forget unimportant things."

"I am Takeshi Koga," he introduced dryly and, before he could say something else, they were interrupted.

"KYO!" Kyo froze when Yuya's voice registered. "What's going on?"

He half turned towards her and, trying to hide -if not quell- his urgent distress, he ordered, "Get out of here, Yuya!"

**Shinna** **Yuya** took in the scene outside her door. There were countless warriors, all of them wearing the same face and all of them hostile. Kyo was strong, but this might be too much even for him. She couldn't leave him alone to fend them off! He needed her help and she would give it to him, whether he wanted it or not!

"I am not leaving you!" She had barely given a couple of steps his way, when she felt a presence behind her. She spun on her heels, taking out her weapon and aiming it at whoever had tried to catch her unawares. Her eyes widened when she encountered those odd eyes, eyes that she'd seen before in a glimpse within the shadows.

She could have fired and ended it all. She had the perfect motive and opportunity. Yet, she couldn't! Yuya shook her head and lowered her weapon. He was unmistakable. She glanced at the shadows surrounding Kyo, they all wore his face. How had she not recognized him before?

"You," she looked back at the man before him. Out of all the figures, he looked the most corporeal; the most _real_. "You saved me…"

**Takeshi Koga** relaxed a little once he realized she would not attack. It had been a dangerous gamble that could have cost him his life, but it had paid off. He saw incredulity and confusion follow after her initial surprise. He smiled in what he hoped was a tender manner, wanting to lure her into a false sense of comfort.

She lowered her gun altogether, her arms hanging limply by her sides. Yes, yes, yes! His plan had worked! Yet something bothered him. Why? Why this hesitation from his part? Where had it come from?

_I need to do it… I have worked too hard for this!_ Koga reminded himself furiously, fighting with that part of himself that regarded her as an innocent. _She is nothing but a tool! A tool for me to teach the demon how much it hurts_!

"Shoot, woman!" urged Kyo trying, in vain, to disengage himself from the six shadows he was fighting and barely keeping at bay.

Koga studied the girl, prepared to disarm her if she tried to attack. Yet, she didn't even move! He knew his careful planning had achieved the desire result. She couldn't kill the man who had saved her! A bullet wouldn't pay the debt she owed him and they both knew it.

**Shinna Yuya** didn't know what to do. She was torn. Part of her wanted to help Kyo but the other was appalled by the thought of hurting the one who'd saved her. Why was he doing this? Why had he decided to both help and destroy her?

"Why did you help me?" It was a plea more than a question. "Why are you attacking us?"

The man smiled awkwardly. His face distorted a little, and he looked like he was grimacing more than he was smiling. She wasn't sure which had been his intention.

"It's nothing personal, Yuya-san," he whispered, and she detected a slight tingle of sadness. "You have done me no harm… and I-I wished there was another way."

He opened his arms and stepped towards her. Yuya was frozen in place still, unsure what to do or how to react. The hug seemed benign, so she stayed there, wondering if she could convince him to leave without any more blood being shed. His arms came around her and she was about to hug him back when… pain. It was razor sharp, hot and unexpected. She felt something –like a blade—being inserted into her back. Her eyes widened, she tasted fear and blood in her mouth. He stepped back, his eyes unreadable; his face expressionless.

She looked down at his hands. A black-bladed knife glinted there, held by a hand gloved in blood. Depleted, she felt her legs trembling, her weight too much for them to handle. She started to fall but, to her confusion, the strong arms of her savior and killer caught her. He held her close, this time giving her a real hug. Then, he lowered her to the cold, hard ground ever so gently.

"You will bloom like a rose during winter, Yuya-San," Koga whispered, kissing her cheek, "and, like a flower, you will wither away."

**Onime no Kyo** felt fear and anger tearing at his heart as he witnessed the scene. How dare he harm her! How dare he touch her! More than that, he felt the sudden and undeniable need to get to her! To save her… He screamed, his rage making him see red. What had Koga done!

"Yuya!" he called, aware more than ever of the fact that he _needed_ her! He could not afford to lose her! She was his life! And he would gladly kill the grim reaper itself if it dared to come and rip her from his side!

"Mumyo Jinpu Ryo Satsujin Ken," he hissed, concentrating on only the solid form of the handle of his sword, "The God murdering sword technique… Mizuchi!"

In seconds, he cut down each and every one of Koga's fucking shadows, using the wind to enlarge the blade of his sword. He moved his arm, hoping to get the real Koga, who was still towering the body of Yuya. The wind slashed at his exposed arm and Koga jumped back in time to avoid being shred to pieces.

"Impressive," he acknowledged with a dip of the head and that fucking horrid smile.

"You heard it too, didn't you?" Kyo said, closing the distance between them in a blink. He was so near, he could smell the man! He brought his sword down, trying to cut his arm off, but Koga parried with his sabre. "...the voice of the wind."

"You cannot save her," Koga said, reminding him that Yuya's life was at stake.

Kyo moved away from him, positioning himself defensively in front of Yuya. Kyo could tell Koga had been having a hard time keeping his blade at bay. What his skills had been unable to do, his words had accomplished. Kyo would have to fight and kill him another time.

"You're lucky," Kyo hissed, glaring at him.

Koga smiled in return and said, "Now, you'll know how it feels to lose everything…" He raised his unharmed arm and dropped a grape-size pebble onto the floor. Smoke rose soon after, veiling him from view. When it cleared, Koga was gone.

"Kyo," it was Yuya who called him and, drawn by her voice, he made his way through the unnatural mist and to the place where she was sitting –the grimace of pain he had seen on her face dissappeared under a frown of confusion.

Without a moment to waste, he scooped her up and, cradling her protectively in his arms, he hurried to their room. There –as gently as he could under his urgent need to help her—he placed her on the futon and almost ripped opened her stained yukata.

He wiped away the blood with careful movements to discover… nothing. There was nothing there! There was no wound, even though he'd seen it. Koga had plunged his knife into her body, the entire blade had disappeared into her back! Hell, the amount of blood she'd shed was proof enough of that!

_What the hell did he do!_

"Kyo," she frowned, "I don't feel pain anymore. What did you do?"

"I…" what could he tell her? He hadn't done a damn thing! He gathered her into his arms and whispered into her ear, "There's no wound."

"What? Are you sure?"

He stayed quiet, not knowing what to say, fearing what it meant.

"What could this mean?" she asked, gripping the fabric of his kimono almost desperately. He could feel her trembling against him, and he hated the fact that, once again, he'd failed to keep her safe.

"It means you're going to be fine…" he promised, tightening his hold and placing his chin atop her head. He kissed her beautiful locks and silently vowed that he would keep her alive, whatever it took. Even if that was the last thing he did, he would save her… _You are going to be fine… I promise…_

He continued holding her in silence for what seemed an eternity. When it was clear what had to be done, he broke the hug.

"Put some clothes on," he told her, wrapping a bandage around his torso and tying his kimono up.

"Are we leaving?"

Kyo shook his head. He had never run from a fight before and he was not about to start now. He would kill Koga, that was a fact, but he had to do things properly; to plan out his priorities. First he needed to find out what he had done to Yuya. Kyo, however, had never been good with things as complex as spells or curses. Probably for the first time in his life, he accepted the fact that he needed help.

There was only one man that could help him. One man who knew more about his past and his kills than he himself did. A man who not only knew how to get information but –most importantly—how to 'use' that information. That man was Yukimura Sanada.

When Yuya was ready, he stood up, took her hand and made his way towards the front desk. He ordered her to sit down while he wrote his letter.

"What are you doing?" she asked, peering over his shoulder. He had already written a letter to Yukimura and to his servant number two and he was on the process of writing a third to Akira.

"Calling in the cavalry," he answered, then after a pause added, "plus a baby-sitter."

Yuya frowned, "Baby-sitter?" In answer he pointed towards the letter addressed to his servant number two. Yuya's eyes narrowed, "Baby-sitter for whom?"

Kyo rolled his eyes, "I believe it's obviously for the one who managed to get attacked three times in less than five days."

"What! It was not my fault!" she argued heatedly. "Plus you were attacked the same number of times!"

"There's a difference between getting attack and getting into a fight, woman."

**Shinna Yuya** scowled. Yet, her building irritation quickly turned to worry when she saw Kyo's relaxed stand switch to a tensed one, "What! What's wrong?"

Kyo sighed, "Tell me you know their addresses…"

She face palmed herself. "And here I thought something horrible had happened to you!"

Yuya snatched the letters from his hands and wrote on each envelop the addresses her friends had given her before they parted ways. "What would you do without me," she sighed dramatically.

He smiled cynically, "If it wasn't for me you would probably be long dead."

She scowled, blushing furiously, "You can be such a jerk sometimes, you know!"

Kyo smirked, taking her anger more than her words as a compliment. Yuya decided to ignore him for her sanity's sake. Once she finished jotting down the addresses, he handed the letters to the owner of the Inn who would, in turn, sent three messengers to deliver them for a relatively cheap amount of money -that was after Kyo threatened to slit his throat open and burn his Inn if the letters did not arrived at their destination in less than three days and adding, naturally, that he was not willing to pay more than fifty yens for the service. So, the letters were delivered and the only thing left to do was to wait for their team to arrive.

**To be continued…**


	6. Unexpected

"_Passions are like the wind, they are necessary to give movement even if they cause hurricanes."_

-Berbard de Fontanelle-

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 6: "Unexpected"**

* * *

**Shinna** **Yuya** waited with Kyo in awkward silence for their guests to arrive. They hadn't done much during the day and Yuya wondered thus, fearfully, if Kyo would retreat into his former self when the group reunited. Yuya was not looking forward to that Kyo that never showed how important she was to him. The man who hardly noticed her and who called her _servant_. Yuya closed her eyes and prayed with all her heart he would not change into that demeaning person.

The only consolation during their waiting was when the moon claimed the right to soar into the sky. It was only then when Kyo would show he cared by lying down next to her and wrapping his arms around her protectively. They did not kiss or did any of the other things that, like a brand new lover, Yuya was hoping for. Instead, he would just lie there beside her, snuggling close, silent as a tomb. Every night, Yuya wondered if Kyo was afraid that whatever Koga had done to her was contagious, or if he was simply afraid of hurting her in some way or another. Damn, Koga. If only they knew what he'd done to her! She could still hear his whispering promise whenever she closed her eyes.

'_You will bloom like a rose during winter, Yuya-San… and, like a flower, you will wither away.'_

Yuya shivered and Kyo pulled her closer. She shut her eyes, not wanting him to see the fear that probably shone in their depths. Truth was, the unknown, was a damn scary place to be at.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** relaxed a little when the shoji to their room slid open to reveal servant number two, Yukimura, Akira and Sasuke. It had been two weeks since he'd sent the letters and Kyo was pleased at their fast response.

The disheveled group beamed, more at Yuya than at him, as they made their way inside. He noticed his servant's eyes moving up and down Yuya's body, probably scanning for any sign of injury –or so Kyo decided to think; else he would have to beat the crap out of him for ogling her.

After they had settled down and Yuya had served them all sake -much to Kyo's discontent, for it was his bottle- they waited for him to address the situation that had resulted in their gathering.

Kyo cleared his throat and placed Koga's gift in the middle of the room. Then, without further fuss, he gave a short but accurate account of what had transpired, starting from Yuya's first encounter with Kenta. Kyo decided to omit some details of how the second group of aggressors had attacked Yuya. He didn't want her to become more uncomfortable than she already was. It wasn't because he was ashamed that he hadn't been there to protect her, no… not really. He was just doing this for Yuya. Fuck it! He wished he could believe that if only to get rid of the constant guilt he felt. It was bad enough that he'd allowed Koga to get close to Yuya the second time!

At the mention of Koga's name, Yukimura seemed to pale. Kyo focused on him, noticing the widening of his blue eyes when he described how Koga had attacked Yuya with a weird black bladed knife. By the time he was finished, there was palpable silence in the room. Kyo turned towards Yukimura and glared when the man remained silent.

"What do you know about this?" he asked stoically; but the look in his eyes demanded that he hold nothing back.

Yukimura snapped out of his thoughts and sighed. "I think we'll need someone else for this one," he said cryptically. He turned to look at Sasuke and gave him a nod. Sasuke stood up and left the room without a word.

Kyo said nothing, trusting that Yukimura would explain himself when the time was right. If he was honest, though, Kyo was not looking forward to the General's plan. Yukimura was not someone who would scare easily and, by his expression, it was clear that whatever had been done to Yuya was bad, really bad. Kyo fought to mask his fright, a deed that was becoming more difficult by the second.

"Sasuke should be back in three days tops," Yukimura said, sipping the sake in his cup.

"But… what do we do meanwhile?" Benitora paced the room impatiently.

"We wait," Akira shrugged. He seemed to be the least affected by all of this and Kyo envied him for that.

Night was quickly upon them as the three newcomers chatted with Yuya about banal things while Kyo, for his part, simply closed his eyes and retreated to his thoughts. After a while he finally spoke.

"Leave us."

Since Kyo had failed to indicate –by speech or body language- whom he had asked to leave, the entire group stood up at the same time. Kyo frowned when he saw Yuya on her feet and heading towards the exit.

"What do you think you are doing, woman?" he growled.

Yuya's eyes widened and she felt bright heat settling on her cheeks when the rest of the group -who'd understood Kyo's message correctly- passed her by with a smile and –in Yukimura's case- a wink. The group disappeared behind the paper door, leaving them to the privacy of the room.

"Come here," Kyo ordered, lying down on the futon intent on getting some sleep.

**Shinna Yuya** was quick to obey. She tried to hide her smile when he wrapped his arms around her, but knew he must have seen it. It was not much Kyo didn't gasp. Yuya grabbed his hand and was glad when he entwined his fingers with hers. Now that her fear of Kyo ignoring her had vanished, her mind whirled on a thing that, up until now, she had not considered. Who would have ever thought Kyo would be the cuddling type?

"You're an idiot," he mumbled sleepily.

Yuya's eyes widened. She tried to twist around to look at his face, but he kept her still. She frowned. Had he perhaps read her thoughts? Was that even possible?

"For what?" she asked, too curious to ignore. But Kyo did not answer and soon, she heard his breathing becoming deep and even. Kyo was asleep and Yuya decided she really liked the sound of his peaceful slumber.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** waited with his group for Sasuke to arrive. It had been three days since Sasuke had left and only yesterday they'd received a message that he was on his way back. When Kyo had enquired where Yukimura had sent Sasuke to, the General had answered with his usual vagueness. _To get an expert_, he'd said. Kyo had been unable to get more information out of him, much to his irritation.

Two sets of steps approached and Kyo waited, with barely contained anticipation. Who could this so called expert be? The rice door slid open to reveal Sasuke. He stepped inside and Kyo reached for his muramasa in reaction to the second presence. He positioned himself as a barrier between Yuya and the newcomer. Then, he glared at Yukimura who was simply smiling innocently, as though he'd done nothing wrong. Fucking Sanada!

"Good afternoon," Sakaki Kenji greeted, breaking the awkward silence. He smiled unconcerned but Kyo would not be placated by a fucking smile!

Unperturbed by the reception, Kenji stepped inside and took a seat near Yukimura, who quickly offered him a cup of sake. Kyo's sake no less! Kenji thanked Yukimura and sipped at the cup. In a blink, his demeanor changed, his smile vanishing to be replaced by careful curiosity.

"Pray tell, Sanada-san, why have you called me?"

"We have a problem," Yukimura replied, grabbing the anemone flowers Koga had left and placing the vase in front of him. The blue eyes that had been amused seconds before now widened with fright.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kenji asked, turning angry eyes upon Yukimura.

"It means you were not the only one who pissed the cub," Yukimura's eyes jumped from Kenji to Kyo and back again.

Kenji turned, not to Kyo, but to Yuya. With an expression of profound sadness, he said, "Yuya-san…I am… so sorry."

Kyo didn't like those words, and the anger they produced was proof of that. Kyo also didn't like the tone, so serious and shaking with fucking pain. The tone was filled with pity that was uncalled for, unwanted!

"What do you know about fucking Koga?" he asked, keeping his emotions masked and locked inside his heart. His inner battle was no one's business but his own and he would deal with it at a more convenient time.

Kenji sighed, "I know that when he strikes… he strikes where it hurts the most."

**To be Continued…**


	7. Irony

"_Love isn't a decision. It's a feeling. If we could decide who we love, it would be much simpler, but much less magical."_

_-Trey Parker and Matt Stone (1998)-_

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 7: "Irony"**

* * *

**Takeshi Koga** could not believe it, Sakaki Kenji -the first man who'd wronged him- had come to help the second! He punched the bark of the tree he was perched on and clenched his teeth so forcefully, he fear they would shatter.

Could fate really be this cruel? How could Kami, God -or whoever weaved his destiny- do this to him? Why mock him by bringing back the man he wished to kill but couldn't? Fuck! Who'd created the Anemona's unreasonable rules anyways? Who had been as stupid as to ask all the members to teach lessons instead of punish when clearly… _clearly_, Kenji and Kyo both deserved to be punished for their sins!

_But perhaps this is a much more fitting fate for them,_ a voice argued in his head, shoving away some of his heated feelings. _Maybe Kenji is already dead and Kyo could soon join him… _

Sudden laughter brought tears to his eyes. He wasn't angry anymore. In fact, he had not felt this happy in a long time! The last time he felt his heart pounding with such joy was when he'd defeated Kenji all those years ago, ripping from him the one thing he cherished more than his own life!

"Now… now it will be your turn to break, Onime no Kyo…" He whispered, smiling awkwardly at the oblivious group.

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki Kenji** explained what he'd found through years of obsessive research about Koga and his new clan. Before that, however, he relayed a brief summary of Takeshi's old clan, the same clan Kenji had destroyed when he was young and stupid.

He explained that the Koga clan had a black serpent as a symbol, which represented their cunning abilities of manipulation and sadistic nature. The Kogas were taught since birth to never to leave a grudge unattended or vengeance unfulfilled. It became something so ingrained in their nature, that Takeshi's new clan hadn't been able to break him of it.

"After I destroyed the Koga clan, I allowed Takeshi to walk away unharmed, knowing that one day he would seek revenge. I was so sure of myself, that I thought the threat entertaining. Little did I know that he would become a problem I would forever regret not dealing with when I had the power to do so," Kenji shook his head, trying to shake off the ghost's grip that made a shudder run down his spine.

"So he joined the Anemona Clan," Akira finished for him, tilting his head in Kyo's direction. "That was one of the clans you destroyed, wasn't it?"

Yukimura nodded, "Indeed, five years ago, if memory serves. However, it is still quite a mystery," his eyes zeroed on Kyo, "why you did it."

Kyo shrugged, "Beats me. I don't even remember the damn clan." He turned to Kenji, "What did this new clan teach the cub anyways?"

Kenji took the vase of flowers and studied the plant. "The Anemona clan was actually born in Greece a couple of centuries back. One of the members came to Japan and liked it so much, he decided to stayed. He formed his own clan, following the same rules of his previous one… The rules themselves are quite ironic."

"Why do you say that?" Yuya inquired.

Kenji addressed her. "The members of the Anemone clan, contrary to the Koga clan, cannot hold grudges or seek vengeance. They're only allowed to inflict pain in order to teach a lesson."

"Lessons?" Benitora crossed his arms, "Isn't revenge a kind of a lesson too?"

Kenji shook his head. "Not according to the Anemona clan. The lessons are meant to enlighten a person, make him or her better. Revenge, on the other hand, creates an unbreakable cycle of anger, retribution and pain." Kenji put the vase back on the table and smiled sarcastically. "They're a bunch of delusional psychopaths, if you ask me." It was hard for him to keep his hate from showing. How could he? Koga and the Anemona Clan had stripped him from the love of his life. They'd killed Masaki and had left him with nothing worth to live for. "They delude themselves into thinking they're peaceful warriors. They believe that their lessons are better than revenge, when fact is," he focused on Yuya, "their lessons are crueler; _they_ are crueler."

"Save your riddles and just tell me what to do," Kyo ordered curtly.

Kenji took a moment to bring his emotions back under control. "The members of the Anemona believe that the best way to teach a lesson to those who do not fear death, is to destroy that which they hold most dear…," his eyes jumped from Kyo to Yuya, who started blushing.

"How... do you even know this?" Yuya asked, hugging herself. He could see her hands shaking, despite how much she wanted to hide that.

Kenji sighed and, like he had done with Yukimura a few months past, he share with them his story. The story about his tragic life, which came to an end with Masaki's death… for it was, in that day, that Sakaki Kenji had also died and learned his lesson by doing so.

**Shinna Yuya **could barely keep her tears at bay when Kenji finished. She understood him in that moment, better than she'd ever done. At the same time, Yuya wondered if Masaki had suffered. She knew it was selfish to think about her instead of Kenji, but she couldn't avoid it. She was scared. She didn't want to end up like Masaki, waiting for another way… hoping for another chance… wishing a little more time.

"So the flowers are meant as goodbye?" Sasuke asked, pointing at them. He seemed to regret his words when she turned to him. But he was right, wasn't he?

"There is more to the flowers than that," Kenji corrected. "They are meant as a symbol. The name of the Clan sprung from a tale of Greek mythology. It was said that the Goddess Aphrodite was madly in love with a mortal hunter named Adonis and had thus become his lover. Ever since she first saw him, she would go hunting with him to protect him from all harm. One day, however, Aphrodite had to leave to attend godly business. Afraid that something might happen to him, Aphrodite forced Adonis to promise he would refrain from hunting in her absence.

"Adonis did so, but an hour after she was gone, he succumbed to temptation and decided to hunt near the edge of the forest. Without realizing it, he moved deeper into the forest, into danger. In and in he went until suddenly he was attacked by a wild boar. Adonis lost his weapon and, defenseless, the boar pounded him brutally and left him to die. Aphrodite, who was crossing through the skies, cast a look down and saw her lover attacked. She went to his rescue, but by the time she arrived, it was too late. Adonis laid dying.

"Kneeling beside him, Aphrodite declared to her lover 'I shall remember you Adonis and so shall all the world. From your blood will grow a flower, quick to blossom in the spring and all too quick to die' (1)."

"So... that would make Koga the boar," Akira offered softly.

"And that makes me Adonis," Yuya added. She was glad her fear hadn't taint her tone, but it was hard keeping it at bay. God, it was so damn _typical_! Kyo had to be the one who couldn't get hurt, while she died just for disobeying! Maybe Kyo was right. She was more of a nuisance than an asset.

"Yuya-san…" Yukimura sounded worried, which sort of irritated her. What was he worried for?

She hadn't intended to, but suddenly she was laughing and she couldn't stop. It didn't even come out pleasant, instead the sound was harsh, crisp and peppered with crazy. She was trying to keep calm, but God this was hilarious! She was in danger of dying, _again_! That seemed to be the only thing she was an expert on, being on the verge of death! And Koga's words, his last message and warning, ringing in her head wasn't helping.

"He even told me: 'You will bloom like a rose during winter, Yuya-San and, like a flower, you will wither away' he said!"

"Yuya-san, it'll—"

Yuya stormed out of the room before Benitora could finish breaking her. She left because she needed air! She left because she was drowning in despair! She left because, truth be told, Yuya was having trouble coping with the slow and painful death that awaited her…

**Tokugawa Benitora** watched her go with a heavy heart. He hated that she was in harm's way, just as much as he hated Kyo. He should have protected her! It was his duty!

"Shouldn't someone go after her?" he asked, looking at Kyo, demanding that he do something. After all, it was not him she would want comfort from.

Kyo, as impassively as always, shrugged. "That's your job," he reminded, "So go and baby-sit her."

Benitora bit back his retort. There was no use fighting him. Antagonizing the man would accomplish nothing and they all knew it. It was the wrong choice and he doubted he was the only one thinking that. Yet none dared contradict the great Onime no Kyo, not even him. So did as told and left to find her, hoping he would be able to sooth some of her worries.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** couldn't understand her fear. This was not the first death sentence she'd received. Not very long ago, Shinrei had reduced her lifespan to mere days by injecting a water dragon inside her. For some reason, she hadn't been afraid then. So what had changed? Back then, there had been this strange feeling of confidence in her friends, especially in Kyo. She had known, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would save her. Yet, Yuya wasn't as sure now. Why? Hadn't he shown her that he was strong enough to defy everything and everyone? Had he not shown her, more clearly in the last few days, that he cared about her enough to protect her -to fight to keep her by his side? So why this hesitation? Why this sudden _doubt_?

Was it perhaps because she saw in Kenji a shadow of Kyo? Kenji had been unable to save his love one, despite his skill and fame. Was she projecting him onto Kyo? Would Kyo be unable to save her because he was so similar to Kenji? Were they meant to follow that same scripted tragedy? Would they ever live their happily-ever-after? And if that was so, then what about Kyo? Would he go around traveling around the world wearing a strange smile, hoping to impart the lesson he'd been taught through suffering?

Then it hit her. Yuya was afraid to die, yes. But, more than that, she was afraid to leave her lover behind; to be unable to watch him grow and love and change. She was afraid that he would become Kenji and wear an empty smile for the world to see. A smile that everyone would describe as odd and enigmatic, just like she'd done...

No…! She was not ready to die! There was so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to share with him… They had just started their life together, for crying out loud! It was not fair that it should end without leaving anything behind as proof that they'd been together!

When Yuya heard someone approaching, everything crumbled, as if that person was a rock dropped on the glass of her feelings. The glass shattered and the emotions rushed out in a wild torrent that left her trembling.

"I don't want to die…," she confessed; shoulders shaking, her eyes burning, heart aching.

**Tokugawa Benitora**'s heart broke at the words of the woman he still loved! Oh, it was true. It didn't matter how much he told himself he could never have her… his heart still pined for her. He closed the distance between them and struggled for something to say? He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, but he couldn't! He wished he could take her away from all danger and give her the happiness she deserved, yet he doubted she would want that… _him_. He doubted she would want _him_.

"Maybe this time…," Yuya continued, hugging her body as if to keep from breaking, "we're not going to make it. Maybe... we just aren't meant to be…"

Benitora's heart raced. Did she feel something for him too? Could it be…?

"I finally found someone I felt safe with… someone with whom I'm happy… " still with her back to him, she brushed at her tears. "But even if I don't make it… know that I regret nothing… because I love you..."

Benitora's eyes widened.

"…Kyo," she finished, turning around to find him there, frozen by a shattered hope and a broken heart. He closed his eyes, trying to hide his bittersweet tears. For a slim moment- _I am a fool, _he thought, and this time his heart agreed.

**Shinna Yuya** closed her eyes. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment and anger. How stupid of her to think that Kyo cared! That he would actually follow her!

"I…," Benitora looked just as embarrassed as her, if not more.

The tears in his eyes made her see red. How dare he look at her with such pity! She turned around and, with her back to him, ordered crisply, "Go away! I want to be alone."

"I…I understand," Benitora whispered, hurt.

Yuya regretted her words. His intentions were good, she knew that! How could she blame him for what Kyo did –or in any case, what he hadn't done? She didn't want to be a monster, least of all to him.

"Benitora," Yuya called, glancing at his retreating form. He turned around and waited for her to say something. "Please… don't tell anyone what I said…"

He forced a smile, "I won't. You can always trust me, Yuya-han."

"I know... thanks."

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** drained the last of his sake and fished around Yuya's bag for another bottle.

"Perhaps you should have gone," Akira suggested.

Kyo shrugged. "She'll be fine." To Kenji, he said, "Apart from killing Koga… is there another way to break the curse?"

Kenji scratched his chin , "I'm sure of two ways. One, which you have already guessed, is to kill Koga before the curse kills Yuya-san." Kyo flinched at that, but kept his cool. "The second is to find another member of the Clan who would be willing to lift the curse."

"Unlikely," Yukimura sighed, "Koga is the last survivor."

"Good job, Onime no Kyo," Sasuke muttered.

Kyo's calm was already hanging by a thread, so he decided to ignore the insolent shinobi for now.

"So we must kill Koga," Akira concluded.

"Maybe…" Kenji looked like he'd just remembered something.

"Well what?" Kyo pressed when he didn't continue, hoping he hadn't sounded as desperate as he was feeling.

"There may be another way. There was a rumor but," he stood up, "I have to look into before I raise false hopes. I'll start immediately. We don't have much time."

"Much time…? How long does it take for the curse to finish its job?" Sasuke was on his feet, his concern evident.

"Almost a week has gone by since the attack, hasn't it?" Kyo nodded. "Then we only have three weeks, so I suggest we send people to look for Koga, just in case my research amounts to nothing," Kenji reasoned.

"Sasuke, help Kenji with his research," Yukimura ordered.

A solemn Benitora chose that moment to step back into the room. Kyo waited for Yuya to follow, but she didn't. He turned to the man, studying his tensed form. What happened?

Shrugging, Yukimura addressed Akira, "The rest should concentrate on finding Koga."

Kyo nodded, "I'll join the search while-"

"No, you won't," Benitora interrupted with a tone that reminded them that he too was a man of skill... and temper.

"Oh?" Kyo quirked an eyebrow, challenging him to speak his mind.

"You're a fucking bastard, you know that! She needs you, don't you understand? Are you seriously that self-centered?" Benitora snarled, pointing at the door. "You should have gone after her not sent someone else to do _your_ job! Step up and be the man she needs you to be for once! Or damn better set her free!"

The string of his composure broke and anger rushed forward, burning him from the inside out. He wanted to kill Benitora, to cut him in half right where he stood. Yet, his words rang true and he hated him for the reality-check.

"My deepest regret was that I did not spend more of her last days with her," Kenji said, standing between them, ready to stop them or placate them. He turned to Kyo, his eyes an ocean of sadness. Kyo hated that look. "We'll do our best… but it amounts to nothing if she gives up before we find a solution."

Kyo relaxed and, faking indifference, proceeded to the door. Before stepping out, however, he added, "Don't screw this up. Or you'll have me to answer for."

He left after that, before anyone got hurt, especially him.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** looked up. The sky was already dark, with stars glinting in it, unconcerned and uncaring. She hadn't moved an inch since Benitora had left. It annoyed her how alone she felt... and forgotten. Why hadn't he come? Did he hate her now? Was he annoyed? Her disappointment was worse than being angry at him and it was crushing her!

"I'm sorry, Yuya-san..."

Her eyes widened and every muscle in her body coiled in preparation to flee. She turned around, feeling her heart thumping in her temples. For a moment, she'd hoped it had been her imagination, but she was mistaken. Koga stood there, a meter or so away, looking at her with mismatched eyes full of pity.

**Takeshi Koga **locked eyes with her. He didn't know why, but he found himself searching within that emerald depths for a hint of how she felt. He waited for her to say something, but when she didn't, his frustration resurfaced.

It was not his fault that she had to die! She had claimed that fate when she'd fallen for a demon!

"I said I'm sorry," he repeated, feeling -despite his reasoning- guilty. Why, though? Why did he feel this for her and not for Masaki? It was so... irritating! Maybe it was because Masaki had had a hand in the annihilation of the Koga clan while Yuya was completely innocent? Could that be it? Could it all come down to something as abstract as innocence?

No, that wasn't all. There was something about her that interested him personally. Did he _yearn_ for her? Did he yearn for the love she professed for the red eyed demon? After all, he'd known that love once… A love he'd lost when the Anemona had been attacked!

He squinted and, for a moment, the image of Nozomi flashed before his eyes, like a ghost wearing the face of the girl before him. Was that it? Did he want her to live because he saw a ghost of Nozomi in her? _Nozomi_… had been his first and last love, stolen by Kyo's blade when he'd raided the Anemona.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, not to Yuya, but to that ghost.

"I heard you," Yuya said calmly, but she looked as though she was ready to run.

"It's your fault," he tugged at his braid nervously. "You shouldn't intertwine your life with a demon…"

**Shinna Yuya** said nothing. It was strange. Before her stood the man who would kill her –who in a way, had—and yet she could not bring herself to hate him. She realized why in the way his tone seemed to ring with raw honesty and sadness; in the way he stood before her, armed but vulnerable, trying to excuse why he'd targeted her. She found the answer in the way he seemed conflicted, a far cry from what he'd seemed liked the day he'd plunged his blade into her back.

Koga, worst than Kenji, had lost it all. He'd lost his entire family to Kenji and then, just when he thought he could be happy again, he'd lost it all to Kyo. So how could she hate someone so broken? Someone so hurt by fate? No, what she felt for him was... empathy. Not that many years ago, she had embarked on a similar mission, hadn't she? When her brother had been killed, Yuya had wanted nothing else than to destroy the person who took his life. It was anger born from a deep feeling of love and loss. So how could she hate him without being a hypocrite?

"I understand why you're doing this," she confided, truly believing it.

**Takeshi Koga** blinked in confusion. Her lips parted and suddenly, she was smiling. It wasn't fake! He could tell when it was fake and this wasn't. It was the most genuine thing he had seen since Nozomi, and the most beautiful.

"It doesn't have to be this way," he offered eagerly. "If you leave him… if you walk away now… I can lift the curse and you can live the rest of your life, healthy and happy. If we don't tell him, then Onime no Kyo will learn his lesson and you will not have to die."

Yuya continued to smile at him, her savior-turned-killer. "It is true, I do not want to die," she confided, and Koga was relieved. Yet, before he could say anything else, she added, "But I don't want to die _precisely_ because I want to be _with_ Kyo… A life without him is not worth living."

Koga reeled back, baffled and angry. Why? Why was she being so difficult? Disdain pushed pity out of the way, making him sneer. She wasn't like Nozomi, not at all! Stupid, silly little girl!

"It's a shame you feel this way…"

Yuya shook her head, "I regret nothing."

Takeshi moved back, away from her and towards the shadows. "Then you shall wither away…," he reminded, melting into the darkness.

**Shinna Yuya** brought her hands up to her face, hiding her tears, muffling the sobs ripped from her throat. When the tears stopped, she brushed her cheeks dry and made a decision. She would not give up. She would not stop. She would live... even if she had to fight to do so.

With that new found resolution, she answered Koga's challenge.

"I won't make it easy… Koga-san."

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Notes:**

(1) This is actually a real story of Greek mythology. Mythology; 2003, pg 61; Global Book Publishing, Australia.


	8. Impotence

"_But love is blind and lovers cannot see/ The pretty follies that themselves commit;/ For it they could, Cupid himself would blush/ To see me thus transformed to a boy."_

_-William Shakespear (1564-1616)-_

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 8: "Impotence"**

* * *

**Onime no Kyo** sipped at his sake. Two weeks had gone by faster than Kyo would have liked. He had had no information about the progress -or lack thereof- of Yukimura and Kenji, but he did not regret his decision of staying with her. Kyo remembered the time vividly…

_-By the end of the first week, Kyo noticed as they lay together that a tattoo of a blade had appeared on her back. Upon further inspection, he realized -while Yuya was deep asleep- that it was his muramasa blade the one imprinted there. Instinctively, he held her tighter, wondering -with unbidden and unwelcomed fright- if this was meant to remind him that he'd done this to her, even if indirectly. That he, Onime no Kyo, was her reaper… _

_The following week, Kyo decided to take her out of the gloomy Inn. If indeed these were her last days –although he refused to believe that- he would not want her to be inside a dark room. Kyo took her first to a nice restaurant. He had no idea when he had last eaten in such a fancy place but he realized, as she sat before him with a look of unbound surprise, that he did not mind it. _

_Of course, perhaps because he was not used to be looked upon with such adoration -or maybe because he was simply uncomfortable whenever the words 'sweet' or 'kind' were used to describe him- he balanced it with snide remarks. _

"_You should not eat too much," he advised solemnly just as she began digging into a piece of chocolate cake, "You'll get fatter and uglier." _

_Yuya's eyes became slits. She sent him such a glare that, despite the venom in it, made him smile. In a strange way, to him, it meant that she was more alive than dead. _

"_I hate you sometimes," she confessed, pushing the plate away. _

_Then, like she'd done a few times before, she stared into nothingness and went completely still. Her eyes glazed out, looking empty… Kyo cursed at the constant reminder that she was dancing with death and he could do nothing but watch in impotence. After five minutes, she snapped back from wherever she'd gone. Not wanting to worry her, Kyo acted as though nothing had happened and pushed the discarded plate towards her. _

"_I already paid for it," he said, "So you better eat it, woman. Do you think I'm made of gold or something?"_

_Yuya managed to see through his harsh words because she smiled at him and continued to enjoy the rest of her cake, unaware of the worry that filled Kyo's mind and heart. _

_Two days later, Kyo went to shop with her! Yes, the great Onime no Kyo, a thousand-men slayer had walked beside his woman as she peeked in all the stores that the small town had to offer. By the end of that day, she had acquired two brand new yukatas and a new outfit for Kyo -which consisted on a wine colored gi which matched his short hair and black hakamas. Naturally, Kyo did not thank her or even made an effort to hide his boredom. Yet, deep down inside, he was thrilled to see her so alive. It did not matter how many hours he had to wait for her to try outfit after outfit, at least she was happy. _

_Plus, Kyo had to admit it was worth it when he'd joined her in the fitting room -despite her protest and the shop-owner's look of disbelief. That time, well… it had been difficult to fake boredom. Regardless of all that, the five minute drawbacks persisted. The episodes even appeared more often as the second week drew to a close.__-_

By the third week, she had worsened. Yuya would stop in the middle of a sentence, courtesy of the episodes. By the time it was over, she would blink a couple of times in disorientation and look around her wonderingly. Then, she would say she had forgotten what she was saying and would try, unsuccessfully, to hide her worry and fear. During those times Kyo tried to reassure her by playing out his script. He would say that it was due to the fact that she was getting old or something along the lines that would imply it was natural, while angering her at the same time. Yet, they both knew better than that. Their bickering was becoming just as forced as her smiles and his reassurances.

By the fourth day of that week, Kyo would take Yuya by the waist whenever they left the Inn. He would excuse the action by saying that she was so clumsy she would probably fall if it wasn't for him, yet the truth was that she was passing out without her even knowing it. She would be looking at something and then, 'bam'. She would black out for around five minutes at random intervals. And with the impotence that was beginning to clutch at him tighter and tighter, he could do absolutely nothing but wait_. _

But where the fuck was Yukimura and the rest? Was the fact that they had not returned a clue that they had found nothing? Was this it, then? Did he have to let her die? Would he watch as she was taken away from him passively? Already the tattoo had spread and the body of the serpent was almost complete. The scaly, black body had twirled around the blade two times! Now the only thing missing, he knew with frightful certainly, was the its head!

"Kyo…," she was looking at him concerned across from him. They were sitting on the grass, under a sakura tree in full bloom. He couldn't help it. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest. He couldn't lose her! He _wouldn't_!

**Shinna Yuya** squeezed his arms. His action spoke loud and clear of the desperation building inside him. Though she tried to keep up the façade of strength, she could not hold in the tears any longer.

"I'm happy," she told him, twisting in his arms in order to hug him back. "Right now… I could not ask for more."

She saw him bit his lower lip, felt his arms trembling and heard his heart racing. She knew that if she looked him in the eye, she would see them glazed with tears. She didn't, though. She knew he wouldn't want her to witness his pain; she knew he didn't want her to think him weak.

"Don't be stupid," he whispered hoarsely. He cleared his throat before adding louder, "You will always ask for more… it's your nature and I will have nothing else."

She bit her lip, but a sob escaped her. More tears came out and then she was shaking, pressing her face into his chest, trying to muffle her frustrated sobs. She didn't want to die! She didn't want to leave him!

"I'm going to save you. That's what I do. That's in _my_ nature," he assured her, surprising her with his confidence. He kissed her forehead and added, "And when I do save you… You need to stay out of trouble. This is getting ridiculous."

She laughed at his words and closed her eyes, loving how his whole body seemed to wrap around her in a protective cocoon. Right now, she was content, but Kyo was right… she would soon ask for more, because she would not die. She _must_ not die…

**-o0o-**

**Sanada Yukimura** smiled when he stepped inside the small, disheveled room. It had taken him long, but at last he'd found Koga's hiding place.

"Spread out and search for him in the surrounding area," he ordered. The twelve ninjas he'd brought along nodded then disappeared.

Yukimura and Saizo -the latter whom he had signal to stay with him- began to look around the place, hoping to find something that would give them a clue as to how to stop Koga. Yukimura noticed how one wall was completely bare and approached it with caution. He moved across its length, knocking at intervals. Eventually, a hollow sound greeted him. He turned to Saizo, who came over and inspected the spot.

"Here," he said, pushing at a segment of the wall.

A hidden compartment popped open and Yukimura pulled Saizo aside to take a look. A book laid inside. He pulled it out to study it. There was a picture of a white anemone on the indigo, leather cover.

"Could it be, Sanada-sama…?" Saizo whispered, looking at the book.

Yukimura scanned its contents and, after a couple of minutes, sighed.

Saizo must have mistaken the sound for disappointment because he enquired, "It does not work, Sanada-sama?"

Yukimura smiled, "I don't know." Showing him the book, he pointed out, "It's written in Latin."

Saizo frowned, "So… what do we do?"

"Get Kenji and tell him to meet me back in my room."

Saizo left to do as told. A couple of hours later Yukimura's room was filled with warriors. Benitora, Sasuke, Natsuki and Akira had followed Kenji when they'd learned that Yukimura had found Koga's hiding place.

**Sakaki Kenji** walked past them and took a seat beside Yukimura. He took the offered book and examined its contents. After Masaki's death and, thanks to his obsession with the curse that killed her, Kenji had learned enough Latin to be able to read it. His interest increase with each page turned. At some point, a page stole his complete attention. He must have studied it for more than an hour before he leaned back on his seat and began methodically massaging his eyes. The sun was already disappearing and the strain of reading with the light of a single candle had taken a toll, producing a mild headache.

"So?" prompted Akira, breaking the silence.

Kenji gave a short laugh that sounded, in Yukimura's opinion, bittersweet.

"This Clan is surrounded by such irony," he said.

"Is that a good thing?" asked Benitora.

Kenji stood up. "I know what must be done now." As he walked out the room, he whispered to himself, "Now I understand… Masaki."

**-o0o-**

**Takeshi Koga** stood in the place where he'd seen, not long ago, Yuya and Kyo embracing. He smiled awkwardly and caressed the spot where they had sat.

"You should have seen you face, Onime no Kyo," he whispered with glee, "It was worth all my pains!"

He felt so happy he could not contain it. So he stood up and began dancing on the spot, moved by the rhythm of his excited heart.

"Now wither away, my stupid flower, wither away!" He laughed; all thoughts and feelings of guilt completely cast aside.

**To be Continued… **


	9. Sacrifice

"_Whether it's a myth or a manipulation we all want to fall in love."_

_-The Mirror has Two Faces (1996)-_

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 9: "Sacrifice"**

* * *

**Takeshi Koga** stormed into his room, still consumed by anger. He stopped suddenly and forced his mind to cool. There was something amiss. His inspected the Spartan room minutely. His lips twitched. It was hard to keep from smirking, but he pulled it off. There were intruders inside his room; he could feel their presences frozen in place. Koga did nothing to disclose the fact that he'd made then. Instead, he strolled deeper into his room faking casualness.

Something unwelcomed occurred to him and he approached the opposing wall with barely concealed urgency. What if they had found it? He tapped a hollow spot in the wall and the hidden compartment snapped open. He peered inside and pale. It was gone! _The_ _book_ was gone!

"Damn you!" he cursed, losing his momentary cool. _This changes everything! Fuck! I should have kept it with me at all times! Fuck! _

He glared at the shadows and the figures hidden within. He picked the nearby table up and threw it aside with all his might. It crashed against the wall, but a huff suggested he'd at least hit one target. As if on cue, the intruders jumped into action. Under the rain of wooden pieces, Koga welcomed the shadows that came out of their hiding places, intent on surrounding him and, probably, capture him in order to bring him before Yukimura or Kyo -maybe both.

Koga took out his knife and cursed them to hell. He was stronger than he looked and adding his increasing anger to the equation… well, there was no one and nothing to stop him. Without them knowing they'd just released the demon he'd become. It wasn't long before his hand was coated red with blood.

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki Kenji** sat before Kyo and the interesting group he'd collected. He glanced at Yuya. Her pale complexion made the half-moons under her eyes stand out. Tomorrow the head of the snake would appear on her back and, because of that, they were all on edge.

Kenji gripped the book on his lap. He'd been studying it thoroughly for the last few days, knowing that time was running out. Kenji could see, better than most, the road ahead; a road that was reserved solely for Yuya. He knew for a fact that she's spent the last couple of nights in pain -shaking at the caress of cold hands only she could feel.

So, as he waited for everyone to settle down, Kenji took a moment to order his thoughts.

"Are you going to speak someday before Yuya dies?" Kyo snapped, his tiredness making him cranky.

Kenji couldn't blame his mood. His irritation was obvious and so was his concern. Kenji knew that dealing with mortality could not be easy for a man once revered as an untouchable demon.

He smiled for the first time since he'd been told about the situation and said, "I know what must be done."

His words drew smiles on everyone's faces, especially Yuya's.

"Go on," Kyo ordered, crossing his arms. Though he was the only one who hadn't smiled, his eyes glinted with desperate hope.

"There is a way to stop the curse. It's a ritual which, if done correctly, would allow me to help you fight the serpent, Yuya-san," Kenji explained.

"Why you?" asked Benitora.

**Onime no Kyo **was thankful that he wasn't forced to ask the question. Though Kenji had not made a move towards taking Yuya from him, Kyo wasn't taking any chances.

Kenji turned to Benitora, "Because you are all going to be busy dealing with Koga."

"Fair enough," Kyo acknowledged, his entire spirit aching for the blood of the bastard who'd dared harm Yuya.

"Wait," Yuya put up a hand, her brow marked by confusion and worry. "There something you aren't telling us, Kenji-san." Her eyes became slits, "For every action there's a consequence, so what will you be trading for my life?"

Kenji smiled, "No action is without consequence, yes. However, I have considered it thoroughly and have come to the conclusion that I am the best fit for the job." He leaned towards her, took her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. "Don't worry about me, Yuya-san." He let go of her, much to Kyo's silent relief, and turned to Akira, "I will need your help, though."

When Akira looked to Kyo for confirmation, he nodded in acceptance.

"Tell me what to do," Akira obliged.

"Then it's set," Yukimura declared cheerfully. "When will you start the ritual?"

"We don't have much time. Tomorrow marks the last day for Yuya-san, so we should probably start right away. I will instruct you on what I need you to do for the ritual," Kenji said to Akira, "and hopefully, before tonight, we shall be ready to start."

Akira nodded and stood to follow Kenji. They were about to leave when the rice door suddenly slid open to reveal a pale-looking Saizo. He stumbled forward and would have fallen if Kenji hadn't moved to support him. The man was covered in blood, most of which seemed to be his.

"Yukimura-sama…," he whispered.

Yukimura went to him and helped Kenji hold him up. "What happened, Saizo?"

Kyo had never heard Yukimura as concerned as he sounded now.

"We were… attacked," Saizo explained, grunting and holding his side. Kyo could tell that there was a big gash there, deep enough to have covered him in blood.

"Sanada Yukimura," a messenger was standing by the door, his face completely pale upon intruding into such a scene. "I-I have a p-p-package for Sanada-san."

Sasuke retrieved the box and handed it to Yukimura, whose lips were now a thin line.

"I-Is h-he okay?" asked the messenger pointing at the fallen ninja.

"He'll be fine," Yuya answered, grabbing the messenger by the hand and guiding him down the hall. She smiled as though nothing bad had happened and Kyo was amazed by her quick thinking.

When she was back inside, she addressed Benitora and Sasuke, "Get him into the next room. I'll do my best to treat his wounds."

Once they were gone, Yukimura opened the package. His eyes widened a fraction before they became frigid. Whatever was inside had sparked anger in the normally cheerful General and, though it could prove a distraction, Kyo was curious at its contents.

"Get rid of this, Sasuke," Yukimura instructed, handing him the box.

Kyo glimpse inside. Set atop white silk, were three middle fingers, fingernails still crusted with dry blood. Sasuke cursed but did as told.

"I am sorry for your loss, Yukimura-san," Kenji lamented, placing a hand on the General's shoulder.

Kyo offered no words. Instead, he handed him the bottle of sake he'd been drinking from. Yukimura accepted it with a nod and drained the contents in four gulps. He shrugged afterwards, trying to hide his pain, "They all knew the risks."

Kenji nodded, "Let's go, Akira-san."

Akira squeezed Yukimura's shoulder on his way out. When they were gone, Kyo opened another bottle of sake and poured in two cups.

"We'll make him pay soon enough," Kyo promised, handing Yukimura a cup.

"Cheers to that," Yukimura said mirthlessly, raising his cup.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** exhaled softly, mentally preparing herself for whatever was about to happen. Wits gathered, she squared her shoulders and marched into the room where Kenji and Akira had been working on the ritual. It was six o'clock sharp, and Yuya was as ready as she would ever be.

Akira grabbed her hand and squeezed reassuringly. Then, he guided her to where a shirtless Kenji was sitting down, cross legged and eyes closed. He looked peaceful, as though he'd fallen asleep.

"Everything will be alright," Kenji said in his reassuring voice.

Yuya smiled and, following Akira's instructions, sat down behind Kenji, back to back.

"We need you to bare your bark, Yuya-san," Akira instructed.

Yuya was glad Akira could not see her blush. It made sense now why Kenji's eyes had been close.

"For this to work Kenji's flesh has to press yours," Akira explained, probably mistaking her pause as hesitation. "If you don't then-"

"Okay," she interrupted, feeling her blush intensifying. "Just give me a moment." She exhaled softly and undid the ribbon that was tying her yukata close.

"Here," Kenji said, handing her a towel without looking back.

Yuya thanked him and used the towel to hide her bosom as she slipped out of the upper part of her yukata. "Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked, feeling more nervous by the second.

She tried not to think too much about how warm Kenji's back felt as she leaned onto him, so that there was no more room between them. _Good think Kyo's not here, _she thought, wondering what he would say or do if he knew all the details of what they were doing.

"It should," Akira said, as he took a long purple ribbon made of silk and began twirling it around their torsos, tying them together. The ribbon went around them three times before Akira tied it in a bow on her left side, shoulder-height.

When that was done, he sat cross legged before the silky bow. He lit the two candles that were on either side of him and then began to chant something that sounded like nonsense to her; though she had to admit that the whole thing made his words sound kind of mystical as well.

For a moment nothing happened. She struggled not to squirm or ask stupid questions, but she was starting to feel rather silly. Before she could question the validity of the ritual, everything around her disappeared and she was thrown into an all too familiar place; a black canvas she'd visited when Kenji had kissed her a long time ago.

This time, instead of finding the child, she saw Kenji, half naked like he'd been in the room. His hair, though, was untied and it flowed freely down his shoulders, moving a little as though there were gusts of wind inside this place.

"What's going on?" she asked, worrying when she saw him looking around almost desperately.

"It must be around here," he said vaguely, squinting and moving in circles, looking at the nothingness ahead.

Yuya knew she should worry about whatever he was talking about, it seemed important after all. Plus, she had no idea how this ritual worked or what she should do. She trusted Kenji knew what he was doing and would instruct her when the time came. Yet, she could not brush aside a feeling that had been nagging at her since their meeting this morning.

"What is the consequence, Kenji-san?" she asked, her sudden question breaking him out of his search.

"I understand it now, Yuya-san," he said cryptically. He smiled widely and it was so different from all his other smiles. This one was happy, genuinely so.

"What do you understand?" she asked, approaching him.

He opened his arms, as if to embrace the darkness, "I understand Masaki's gift… I understand the dream you had of the sakura tree… I understand it all now. Nothing is what is seems."

Yuya frowned, "What are you talking about? Wasn't the dream simply a possible future we could have…together?"

He shook his head. "No, Yuya-san! We were meant to make each other happy, just not in the way we thought. Do you see it?"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," she said, frowning and trying to grasp the enlightenment he'd found.

"We were meant to reunite one another with our love ones," he explained with barely contained excitement. "And that's exactly what we should do."

Yuya's frown deepened, "But Kenji-san, your loved one is de—," her eyes widened in realization, "Kenji… You're going to die! Is that what you're telling me?" His smile widened. Yuya didn't like where this was going. She gripped his arms tightly, shaking him, "You can't! I can't allow you to die for me!"

Kenji grabbed her shoulders and, leaning forward, he planted a chaste kiss on her brow, "No, Yuya-san… Don't you understand? I'm going to live! Just not in the same place as you…"

"But—," Yuya's argument was cut short by hissing. She turned towards the origin of the sound and she saw Koga's black snake coiled and ready. She gasped and the serpent leaped towards her with fangs bared.

Kenji pulled her to the side before the snake could bite her. He pushed her behind him. "Be careful," he said, assessing the situation. "Yuya, move towards that direction." He pointed to the side and she did. "Slowly, don't take your eyes off of the snake."

Yuya nodded and did as told, moving slowly sideways, like a crab. She didn't stop until he told her to. Then, she stood there, waiting and dreading what was to happen. The serpent slid into the space between them. Its head moved back and forth, as if it could not decide who to attack. Then, it hissed and, choice made, leaped at its target.

**-o0o-**

**Takeshi Koga** walked around his gathered troops, surveying each man attentively. He'd gathered the most wanted -the most respected criminals for this simple purpose. He had promised them riches beyond their wildest imagination, but half the men here have come simply for the challenge of fighting Yukimura or Kyo.

The sadistic smiles parting their lips convinced Koga he'd chosen correctly. After his examination was over, he turned to face the small Inn where he knew his enemies were waiting.

_How ironic can fate be?_ He thought grimly, as he remembered that it was not long ago that the Anemona tragedy had taken place. For it was, as though fate had wanted to punish him, that while he killed Kenji's loved one Kyo had killed his. It had been as he danced with happiness after witnessing defeat glinting in the eyes of Kenji, that he returned home expecting a warm welcome from Nozomi and had found, to his extreme distress, only a cold body waiting for him.

But it didn't matter anymore. The past was the past and no matter how much he willed it to change, it would not be altered. Tomorrow morning Yuya would die. That was also an unalterable fact. With that thought ringing loud and clear in his head, he looked up at the dark sky. It was only then that he noticed the red moon.

Takeshi Koga smiled, "A red moon… blood will be shed tonight."

He heard the men chuckling, prowling with increasing excitement and palpable bloodlust. He even heard their shallow breathing as adrenaline began to fill their blood. Wasting not another second, he spread his right palm and gave the signal to attack.

**To be Continued…**


	10. Gasps

**Author's Notes: **This is the last official chapter! Next one would be an epilogue to give a proper and more romantic ending (for those who were looking for more closure). Thanks for those who review. ~**Enjoy**!

* * *

"_Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take… but by the moments that take your breath away."_

_-Unknown-_

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 10: "Gasps"**

* * *

**Onime no Kyo** stood up, unsheathing masamune. He could hear them outside, laughing mindlessly, oblivious to the painful deaths that awaited them. Armatures, that's what they sounded like.

"It has begun," Yukimura said, standing behind Kyo, armed and ready. Sasuke and Benitora joined them at the door.

Loud cries of war and curses amidst the sound of moving feet and slashing swords met the group as Kyo slid open the door.

"Welcome to hell," he greeted sadistically, slitting the throat of the man who'd been about to burst inside. There was a minute of stillness after the action. When the rest of Kyo's group stepped out the door, the men seemed to regain their wit and, without wasting another second, continued the avalanche towards them.

A lean and athletic man stepped up to challenge Kyo, a double headed lance resting on one hand. Kyo rolled his eyes. He didn't have the liberty to waste time in child's play when Koga was still at large. If Kenji's plan failed, it would be up to Kyo to save Yuya. The contingency plan was to dispatch Koga quickly, before the clock stroke nine o'clock on the morrow.

"Step aside," he warned. "I have no time to play with you."

Instead of doing as told, the man launched a reckless assault. Kyo was impressed by the man's skill with his lance. His weapon met muramasa three consecutive times before he missed the blade by a millisecond. A small river of blood came out of the superficial cut Kyo landed on his arm. The man seemed not to feel the wound as he quickly closed in on Kyo, this time maintaining his distance, which allowed him to use the advantage his long weapon provided.

Kyo knew this would take time because, though the man was not that hard to get rid of, he did not wish to use much energy in doing so. After all, he still had to deal with Koga and fighting him while tired was not an option! As if Kyo had confided his worries out loud, Benitora was suddenly beside him. He used his own lance to stop the warrior's approach.

"I saw Koga somewhere near the pond," Benitora said, pushing his opponent back with ease. "Go. I'll cover you!"

Kyo nodded curtly in acknowledgement, and, in a way, also in thanks before going in search of his target.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** cried out sharply when the snake slid around her. The attack had happened so quickly, she hadn't had the time to prepare, not that she could have done anything to begin with. The snake was thrice her size and much too quick for her to escape. The snake slid around her body twice before it began tightening its grip, making her extremities tingle. Already her arms were starting to grow numb as the snake cut her circulation.

She tried to wiggle, but that worked against her. The snake tightened its hold much faster whenever she tried to move, so Yuya stopped all pretenses of not being afraid and was now crying freely.

Suddenly, just when she thought the pain could not become any worst, she heard the unmistakable sound of her bones being unmercifully crushed underneath the pressure. She shut her eyes and screamed, leaving her throat sore and dry. She opened one eye and wished she hadn't. The snake's head was inches away from her, inspecting her with those blood red eyes. It opened its mouth, showing her his slimy, poisonous fangs.

Her sight blur and she closed her eye. A swooshing sound followed by a loud grunt of pain, made her eyes fluttered open. Emerald eyes widened with relief when the snake loosened its hold and slid down her body. She followed it as it slid across the darkness, towards the one who'd interfered.

Yuya fell on the floor almost boneless, still panting and trying to assess her wounds. She shook her head, trying to push the pain aside in order to focus on what was happening. She brushed the tears away and saw Kenji some ways away, wielding a golden but translucent bow. The snake was closer to him now, its lust for her forgotten.

Kenji fell onto one knee and clutched at his chest, as if he was having a heart attack. He was panting and, before long, his skin was coated in perspiration.

"What did you do?" she asked him, as fear pushed pain aside. Her words echoed around them, becoming louder instead of softer.

Kenji smiled at her, ignoring altogether the serpent that was eyeing him with caution, but said nothing.

"The bow and the arrow were made with pieces of his soul," a strange voice interrupted. Yuya found a woman dressed in a white yukata standing close by, looking beautiful and ethereal. She tilted her head, looking at Yuya with open curiosity while Yuya tried to make sense of what was happening. Who was she and what did her presence here meant?

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** found Koga just in time to stop him from reaching the place where the ritual was taking place. He moved into action, intercepting the bastard. Koga seemed surprised, but managed to avoid muramasa by throwing himself to the side. He gained his feet and regarded Kyo with a scowl.

"Onime no Kyo," he spat the greeting, freeing twin swords from where they'd been strapped to his back. "What an unpleasant surprise."

"It is time for you to die," Kyo threatened, sprinting with muramasa low on his side.

No matter what happened, Kyo would end him here and now! Koga smiled and, undaunted, met him halfway. What followed was a symphony of war; one that had started a long time ago, but which Kyo would bring to a last and final note.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** stared at the figure guardedly, trying to determine if she was a hostile presence or not.

"Hello," the woman knelt beside her, her voice warm and friendly. "Yuya-san… you need to fight your own battle now…"

"Who are you?" Yuya asked, but was distracted when she heard Kenji's loud wail as the serpent trapped him like it had, not even a minute ago, trapped her. "Kenji-san!"

"He is beyond your help," the woman said. Yuya turned to her, intent of retorting, when she saw her expression. It was lined with worry and in her golden eyes glinted a heartbreaking amount of love, not for her, but for Kenji. Yuya knew who she was then, immediately and without a doubt.

"Ma-"

"Do not let his sacrifice go to waste, Yuya-san," the woman interrupted gently, her voice like a lullaby. "Remember what makes you feel alive and return to the plane of the living. Do it quickly or everything will be for nothing…"

Yuya closed her eyes willing the sound of Kenji's cries to disappear as she focused on someone else; the person who made her life worth living.

_She remembered Kyo following her and hugging her from behind as he confessed his love for her. _

And then there was complete silence.

_She remembered as he followed her into the hot spring, savoring her with his red eyes. _

And she felt the solidness around her dissipating.

_She remembered him kissing her neck, wishing to wipe away the marks that were left there. _

And she felt her entire body… her entire soul flying upwards.

_She remembered his look of utter relief as she opened her eyes after being attacked. _

And she heard a chant that still seemed far away.

_She remembered him hugging her tightly under a sakura tree and promising her that he would save her. _

And she felt solid ground again and heard Akira's voice calling to her. Yuya opened her eyes, gasping for breath. She realized that she was no longer strapped to Kenji, but that instead she was lying down.

"Kenji-san!" Akira's urgent voice made her jerked up in panic. It was only then that she registered Kenji's cries of pain.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** had had enough! The sun was peering out of the horizon and was slowly ascending, draping everything in gold. He knew he was running out of time. Though he heard someone crying with pain inside the room he was protecting -and was well aware that they were not coming from Yuya- he decided to still kill Koga fast!

His crimson orbs moved from one shadow to the next. Again, Koga had used the Kage bunchin attack and had made seven copies of himself. To kill the man, Kyo would have to use an attack even stronger than the one he'd tried before. Thus, committing to a course of action, Kyo got ready to deliver the final blow.

"Mumyo Jinpu Ryu Ougni."

The eight Kogas tilted their head in wonderment when a red aura surrounded Kyo, getting longer and brighter by the second. Then, the aura changed color and became white as it doubled in strength. In a blink, Kyo had sprung towards the first shadow, transforming into a spiritual white tiger.

The tiger shredded shadow after shadow with an ease to behold. Claws and teeth gnawed and slashed mercilessly until Koga, the real one, was the only left. Kyo moved towards him and brought his sword in a downward arch. Koga tried to parry but was unsuccessful; five long nails digging into the skin of his chest again and again until he was on the ground. Kyo stopped only after the scent of Koga's blood assailed his nostrils. Koga's chest was coated in a layer of blood that poured down to create a pool of crimson beneath him.

"Did you feel the claw of the white tiger?" Kyo asked, towering the dying man.

**Takeshi Koga** was having trouble breathing. Every time his chest rose, his wounds bled more profusely, as if his cavity was opened with each mouthful of air that filled his lungs. He noticed the shadow being cast on his face and looked up to see Kyo, towering him. He squinted, but couldn't make out what kind of expression the devil wore; the shadows contrasting drastically with the glowing light behind him.

Despite that, Koga notice his posture, the way he didn't raise his sword, how his arms hung limply by his sides, how his knees were slightly bended. The attack had also taken a toll on Kyo's strength, sufficient to make him fight to stay on his feet.

Koga wanted to hate him. He thought he would. He thought he would hate the man until the moment Koga died. Yet, much to his surprise, as he hung onto the thin thread of life, Koga couldn't hate the man who had taken so much from him. On the contrary, Koga envied the fact that Kyo, at least, had been able to save the woman he loved and, in a level, respected him for that. If Koga had been given the chance to save Nozomi… he would have done it. He would have thrown his revenge aside if it meant he could see her again, hold her one more second, kiss her one more time…

Koga understood that what he'd felt all this time, it wasn't hate. It was regret. Regret that he'd been blinded by so much hate and, in the process, had really lost it all to that sentiment; the same sentiment that the Anemona Clan –that Nozomi herself!—had been trying to eradicate from his heart.

His sight blurred. Koga didn't know if it did because of the tears that were burning in his eyes, willing to be let go, or because death loomed nearby. But whatever it was, it didn't last. A single thing came into focus… no, not a thing, but rather a person.

Koga's tears flew freely, rolling down his cheeks, moistening his scar. She came! She came to him the image of health and beauty, untouched by weapon or time. Koga was afraid to blink, in fear that she would disappear, like the mirage of Kyo's tiger. Yet, she looked so real, so solid, so stunning. She was wearing her white kimono, tidy and without a single wrinkle. He followed her path with his eyes, smiling when she knelt by his side. He tried to raise a hand to touch her, but his muscles screamed with pain. She smiled that tender smile that had always flashed behind his lids whenever he had dared sleep.

"Come with me… Takeshi," she said, caressing his cheek with so much love he felt his heart would burst, his pain long forgotten.

**Onime no Kyo** watched Koga's eyes glaze with tears that quickly followed. He seemed to be looking at something behind him, but when Kyo turned to look, there was no one apart from them.

"What are you looking at?" he whispered, so softly that he doubted the man could hear.

"Nozo…Nozomi," Koga called, blood running down the corner of his lips. He choked on it for a moment and fought to move. Eventually, his hand rose to touch someone only he could see.

In that instance, as the name registered in his brain, Kyo remembered. He remembered the woman who had fought him so bravely and whom he had killed so mercilessly. He remembered her looking at him and wishing him never to lose a love one as she was losing one that day. And as she lay dying with his sword impaled on her stomach, he remembered the last word she'd uttered with so much _love,_ it had shaken something inside Kyo.

"_Takeshi…"_

Kyo could count with the fingers of one hands, the occasions where he'd felt guilt for killing. There weren't many, but killing that woman was definitely in the list. Now that he had Yuya, Kyo understood what he'd done, the crime he'd committed and accepted the hate it had produced. He realized he empathized with Koga and his wish for vengeance. After all, when he'd threatened Yuya, hadn't Kyo thought first and foremost of revenge?

Kyo had almost lost Yuya twice, once to Kenji and then to him. Had she been taken away from him, he would not have been as merciful as Kenji was. He would not have left Koga walk away. Kyo would not have rested until Koga was suffering or dead, and that was unquestionable. So how could he blame Koga?

Kyo knelt down beside the dying, muttering man. He regarded Koga carefully. _Poor bastard._ He'd lost that which Kyo now fought to protect and he was paying the price. Koga was dying, perhaps in a way to atone for his inability to keep his woman safe.

Kyo found himself, to his increasing surprise and agitation, unable to _hate_ the man, despite all he'd done. He pitied him, yes, but there was also something else. He felt respect in an awkward sense. Even if Koga's revenge was cowardly, he would have still achieved the desire effect: the total and devastating destructing of Onime no Kyo. Perhaps with much more success than if he had tried to fight Kyo head on, like he'd ended up doing.

So, kneeling beside the man who had threatened to take the most important thing he had, he did something he had never done before with an enemy. He took the hand that still tried to reach for something and, leaning over him, he whispered in the dying man's ear.

"The last thing she did was call your name," Kyo did not whispered with the taunting tone of one that makes fun of the tragedy of another. Nor with the pride that comes out of a deed well done. He said it almost with affection, with a tone that wished for the dying man to finally rest. He said it with the hurting tone of one who for the first time felt regret.

"My work is done," Takeshi Koga gave a last gasp of air after that, then he let go. Whatever had been holding him to this life, he severed. When Koga's eyes dimmed and glazed, the traces of a smile, gentle and peaceful, were left behind. It was the first time Kyo had seen someone die on a battlefield with a smile of joy, but he did not begrudge Koga the fact.

Kyo left him shortly afterwards, moving slowly and tiredly to the room he had protected. He wondered, now that all he heard was silence, if Yuya was still alive. For his sanity's sake, he seriously hoped she was.

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki Kenji** could not care less about the snake wrapped around his body, squeezing out his life. The head of the snake hovered just before him, yet Kenji's full attention rested on the ghost that stood nearby, watching him intently. She had not changed one bit. She was beautiful, perhaps more so than he remembered. Or was it perhaps that he'd forgotten the details of her face? Was it maybe because he'd yearned for her for so long, that now that she was so close, he couldn't believe his very eyes?

The snake bit him savagely yet he made not a sound. It hurt, that was for sure. He had felt every single teeth plunge deep into his neck. Yet all he could do was smile. With a last choke he allowed a tear of happiness to escape and a smile –a beautiful and honest smile of utter and heavenly relief, grace his features.

"I'm coming," he told the ghost as he felt the snake disappearing, its job done. "I'm finally coming home to you… Masaki."

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** stepped inside and realized that he was the last one to arrive. Kenji's ninja, Natsuki, was crying beside her master. To his relief, Yuya looked relatively unharmed, though he wasn't sure if her tears meant she was suffering from a wound.

"Kenji-Sama," Natsuki called as a pool of blood began to cover the spot where he laid, the tattoo on his back finished.

When Kyo approached he noticed something peculiar –something he had seen not long ago. He saw his blue eyes glowing with unbound happiness. Then he saw his lips parting into a smile like the one Koga had, pure joy. It coated Kyo's skin in goose bumps and, by the sniffs, he didn't think he was the only one affected.

**Sakaki Kenji** was aware that he was back on the real world, yet her ghost was still with him, sitting beside Yuya, looking down at him tenderly… _lovingly_.

"Ma…sa…ki" he enunciated softly, his eyes devouring every detail of her face.

"You've finally understood, my love," she smiled at him and leaned forward, caressing his moist cheek face. He would have closed his eyes at the touch if he wasn't so afraid that he would lose her if he did. "Now we shall be together again… I have waited for so long… "

"Yes," he responded, "I… too have… waited… Masaki…"

She dipped her head and pressed her lips to his. Kenji gasped at the beauty that seemed to have only increased by the absence of her in his life. And that gasp of beauty and of love was the last breath he gave before his eyes became hollow and he followed his lover into what lay ahead.

**Shinna Yuya** leaned towards the man who'd saved her and whispered, "Thank you, Kenji-sama… Now you are free."

It was over. Finally, it was over. She cried, sobbing with happiness and sadness in equal amounts. Kyo moved towards her and pulled her to her feet. He drew her into the circle of his arms protectively. She was relieved to see him relatively unharmed.

Yuya mumbled against his chest, "I finally understand."

"What's that?" he asked somewhat gruffly.

"What it all means," she said. When Kyo frowned, she stood on the tip of her toes and simply kissed him, not caring about everyone else in the room. "I love you."

Kyo smiled so tenderly that she noticed almost everyone looking away. Yuya blushed but she didn't look away, she couldn't.

"I love you too," he answered, surprising even her.

Then, placing a hand protectively on her waist -after nodding curtly at all for their assistance- he guided her out the door. Yuya knew that they were leaving to live the life that had been given to them. To bask in the love that had born out of sacrifice and suffering and yes… out of patience and time.

**Sanada Yukimura**, for his part, took Kenji's body and left. He knew where the samurai would want to be buried.

"You can come with me if you want," he said to Natsuki who with a nod, followed him as his new master thereafter.

…**::FIN::…**

**Story Written by: Giselle González**

© Kenji Sakaki, Masaki Inoue and Takeshi Koga are property of Giselle González and were created for the purpose of telling this story.

* * *

:…:Other **Samurai Deeper Kyo** Stories:…:

* * *

+-+**Third Desire**+-+

"If she is only your servant… then why don't you sell her to me?" Will Kyo finally let Yuya know his feelings for her...or not? A Yuya x Kyo. Prequel to "Serpent's Curse".

+-+**Teaching the Art**+-+

When Yuya asks Kyo to teach her his specialty will he, in turn, learn hers? YuyaxKyo . One-shot.

+-+**Weeping Sky**+-+

Sometimes comfort can come in the strangest of ways given by the most unusual person. When Yuya cries, Kyo realizes he doesn't really like it. ::Yuya x Kyo:: One-shot. Kyo's POV.


	11. Epilogue

**Author's Notes: **It has been an honor entertaining you all. Thank you very much for the support in your reviews and for adding this to your favorites and/or faving me as an author. I hope you like this short closure. Enjoy!

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"_Love has nothing to do with what you are expected to get, it's what you are expected to give –which is everything."_

_-Unknown-_

"**Serpent's Curse"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

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**Epilogue: "Family"**

* * *

**Shinna Yuya** closed her eyes and undid the braid that held her long locks in place. She felt the wind combing her hair with gushing fingers and smiled as the sun kissed her skin warmly, bathing her in gold.

She stood atop a hill overlooking a small house in the distance, not too far away. She was shoeless and curled her toes, feeling the moist grass softly underneath. She took a deep breath, loving the smell of wet dirt. It reminded her of her time as a nomad, following Kyo around, hunting criminals and saving the world.

Another gust of wind whipped her, rattling the Sakura tree in full bloom she was under and making a rain of petals fall over her like pink rain. She gazed at the horizon, taking in the magnificent view of the mountains ahead. It had been four years since Kenji's death. And it was not until now, until this very second, that she truly understood what he meant when he'd said that not all was what it seemed.

She sighed contently when a small hand slid inside hers, grasping it with a tender strength that drew a smile on her lips. She turned to look at the black haired toddler that was her son. When her eyes met his crimson ones, he broke into a toothless smile. Emerald eyes soften, extending absolute and undeniable love.

"Ah, there you are," she heard Kyo stating when he reached them. "He has been looking all over for you."

"You have, Kenji-chan?" she crouched before the child and planted a tender kiss on his brow.

**Onime no Kyo** shook his head. He wondered how in hell he'd been convinced to do a number of things he would never have considered in the past. Among such thing stood the idea of settling down and obtaining a stable job -albeit a good one since he could kill thieves and not be punished by the law.

Then, it had been only a matter of time before she had successfully convinced him of siring a child. Yet, perhaps the most outrageous thing he had let happened was to allow the boy, his first son, to be called Kenji!

Kyo sighed. Though he couldn't quite comprehend it, the name fitted the boy right. Had it not been for that samurai, after all, none of this would ever have come to be. So, in a way, he owed it to him, though he would never openly admit it to anyone.

"Mother," Kenji began, excitement tainting his tone, "I'm going to become a famous samurai of justice when I grow up."

"You are?" Yuya smile widened and her eyes glinted with pride.

"Yes! I'll be just like father," Kenji decided, trotting towards Kyo and wrapping his entire body on his leg.

"Really? Just like your father…" Yuya's eyes sparked with amusement and Kyo could tell she was trying not to giggle. Kyo scowled at her and ignored the jab.

He looked down at the boy clinging to him with arms and legs and smirked, feeling his chest swell with pride. Damn straight the little guy was going to be just like him! Kyo would have it no other way!

"Then, you better start training now," Kyo told him as, pulling him away gently. He gave him a soft push in the direction of the house and instructed him to bring the training swords.

Kenji skipped away happily, laughing as his small feet carried him with outstanding speed toward their house.

"See… you worried so much, but you're a good father," Yuya said as he approached her. "Though… really? You, a warrior of justice?"

Kyo ignored that again and hugged her tightly, happy to feel her body molding to his.

"Of course I'm both," he said with confidence and then whispered in her ear, "I am good at everything, remember…" She smiled but it didn't last long when he continued, "Unlike some who are only good at getting themselves in trouble."

Yuya broke the hug and stalked away, past her son, clearly irritated. "You just had to _ruin_ the moment, didn't you?" she threw over her shoulder.

Kenji shook his head in disapproval and placed a hand in each of his hips, "You made Mother angry again, didn't you?"

Kyo quirked an eyebrow at his grown-up tone, "Of course not, she's a woman and that's what they do."

Kenji's eyes widened, "Really?"

Kyo nodded solemnly.

"Then I don't want a woman," Kenji resolved after a moment of reflection, "that way no one will ever be angry at me."

Well, that didn't end up as planned. Kyo quickly regretted his words and, kneeling before his son, he signaled him to move closer. He put an arm around his little shoulders, drawing him against his flank.

"I will tell you a secret though," Kyo said in a whisper, "all the troubles they cause are worth the happiness they bring… never forget that."

Kenji smiled at that, "Then I want one like Mother."

Kyo acknowledge that with pride, "Then you'll have to look carefully because a woman like your mom is like a treasure hidden underground… they are _very_ hard to find, more so to obtain, but once you have it, you'll never let it go."

Kenji nodded, accepting the challenge and committing to it. Kyo smirked and stood up. With a curt nod, they parted, each with a sword, and got ready to start their training. Kyo could see the strength in his son and knew that it did not matter who stood in his way, he would get what he desired. And if indeed his desire was a woman like Yuya… well, he would have to face danger again and again. For women like Yuya, he knew, attracted danger like bees to honey… Then again, that was perhaps what made them all the more irresistible.

Kyo taunted his son to attack him by moving his finger in a 'come on' fashion. And as their swords met with the sound of wood against wood, Kyo realized that, though danger lay in his future, Kenji would definitely find his woman. And Kyo would make sure he and Yuya were there to see it happen. To see their son grow and his own legend unfold.

Oh, it would certainly be a sight to behold!

…**::Fin::…**

**Story Written by: Giselle González**

© Kenji Sakaki, Masaki Inoue and Takeshi Koga are property of Giselle González and were created for the purpose of telling this story.


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